Actor Matt Smith’s Net Worth Stands to Shoot Up Thanks to ‘House of the Dragon’
The highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon aired its first episode Aug. 21 on HBO Max. So far, the show has earned rave reviews from critics and has an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Behind the scenes, House of the Dragon cast member Matt Smith’s net worth stands to rise if the show remains as successful as it promises thus far.
‘House of the Dragon’: Matt Smith’s role, story details, and other cast members
House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel. It takes place about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The series follows the reign of House Targaryen and will lead up to the Targaryen Civil War.
On the show, Matt Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen. He stars alongside Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, and Eve Best, among others, per IMDb. New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive on HBO Max every Sunday.
From what viewers of the TV series have seen so far, Daemon is an ambitious and oftentimes ruthless warrior whose true intentions remain cloudy. He’s the brother to King Viserys I Targaryen, who rules the Seven Kingdoms from the Iron Throne. Daemon also has a special bond with his niece, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who was declared the king’s successor at the end of episode 1.
Matt Smith’s net worth and other noteworthy acting roles
Actor Matt Smith’s net worth is estimated to be around $9 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. But how did he rack up his multi-million dollar fortune?
A key component to Smith’s successful acting career is his role on the hit sci-fi series, Doctor Who. Between 2010 and 2013, Smith played the 11th iteration of the titular time-traveling doctor.
He also played Prince Philip on the first two seasons of Netflix’s award-winning period drama, The Crown. Smith earned his first Emmy nomination for the role in 2018, where he was up for Best Supporting Actor.
More recently, Smith starred in blockbusters including Sony-Marvel’s box office bomb Morbius and Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. While neither of these films performed especially well in theaters, they no doubt contributed to Matt Smith’s net worth.
Now, with his leading role on House of the Dragon, Smith’s fortune is expected to grow. According to viewership statistics from HBO (via NPR), nearly 10 million people tuned in to watch the first episode, making it the most-watched series premiere in the network’s history.
Matt Smith’s personal life and rise to fame
Smith was born in Northampton, England, on Oct. 28, 1982, per IMDb. He has one sister, Laura Jayne, who’s also an actor.
But surprisingly, Smith didn’t always dream of becoming an actor, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Instead, he wanted to be a professional football player and played for several youth teams throughout his childhood. However, a serious back injury brought his career as an athlete to an abrupt halt.
Shortly after his injury, one of Smith’s cousins signed him up for a theater production at their school. Although he was hesitant to pursue acting at first, he went on to study Drama and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Smith also performed with the National Youth Theatre in various productions before achieving worldwide fame.
