rogue prince

matt smith. 43. actor & time-traveling alien.

[rohirrym]

Matt Smith for Esquire Magazine.

[jennieskm]

Matt, you must be stopped. All this top tier acting has been amazing to watch, but does a terrible thing for my social life. Instead of being a productive member of society when I'm not working, I find myself hooked on your shows. First it was Doctor Who and now House Of The Dragon. When does it end, or are you constantly going to be a part of these addicting shows I can't resist? Have a little sympathy. I'm a delicate creature. @mattrsmit

[mattrsmit]

i'm afraid it's far too late for me to stop now. you've already fallen into the trap, and i can only apologise for the amount of free time i've stolen from you. although, if i'm being honest, i don't feel that guilty. i can't promise i won't keep turning up in shows that hijack your social life, though. i seem to have developed a habit of joining projects that people can't stop bingeing, and i'd hate to break tradition now… nah, i'm not gonna be in any new shows in the near future so you're safe. besides, there's only a few more years of house of the dragon left, you'll be good, don't worry.

[darcyze]

matt, i have to tell you i'm grateful to you for giving me a small hack for doing promo: always having a pair of sunglasses handy. they're so perfect for when interviewers give compliments that i have no idea what do to with. so instead of just sitting there looking useless and blank, or outright telling them i have no idea what to say, i can put on the sunglasses and not only hide my dumbfounded reactions, but also look cool and put together in the process. this is definitely my way of saying that if i ever forget my sunglasses, we're just going to have to share yours. @mattrsmit

[mattrsmit]

i knew there was a reason i kept carrying them around. see? i know it's impolite to wear them indoors but they really help! there's no dignified way to react when someone spends two minutes telling you all these lovely things about yourself. the sunglasses buy you precious thinking time. i'm delighted they served you so well. you forgot the one time you blushed when they flirted with you! no one has done that with me in 4 years, i wonder why. i know you struggle as much as me, so of course you're always more than welcome to borrow mine... i think people already think we were sharing them during press anyway! i'm already imagining us passing the sunglasses to each other every time an interviewer asks a question.

[ewanmtchell]

mate, you're kicking my ass this season. not on screen, not yet, but off screen. my folks are all for team black, as usual, but the praise for daemon has been off the charts. had your performance not been top-notch, i might've started feeling betrayed. that said -- your performance is blowing me out of the water this year. impressed like always. haven't seen you for a while — what have you been up to lately?

[mattrsmit]

i love how you say not yet 'cause you know daemon will be kicking aemond's ass at the gods eye battle! mate, that's incredibly kind of you! i've been just as impressed watching what you've been doing. you've made aemond such a fascinating character to watch, even when he's making everyone's blood pressure rise, including his own mother's. tell them i appreciate the daemon support, i have so much fun like a little kid in a candy store. and don't sell yourself short either, you've absolutely been knocking it out of the park. after press tour i had plenty of time before i have to go back to work, so i'm mostly just having a grand time enjoying the peace and quiet! how about you? tell me what's been going on in your world!

[lilyjcms]

Wouldn't put it past your mom. She always knew that if she didn't bin something, you would probably hoard everything you ever touched. A wise women, really. Okay, we won't bring up the war, but I know what your football shirts mean to you and if it helps, I did feel really bad about it. You didn't actually cry, so that goes to show you are extremely capable of keeping your emotions together and that's impressive in its own way. Well then, you should know that I'm happy we're talking right now. I wasn't sure if reaching out was the right thing to do, but apparently, it was exactly what we both needed. Speaking to you again feels right somehow, like I'm rediscovering pieces of myself I didn't know I was missing. I understand. The situation was hard to comprehend at first and I was hurt and angry that you could vanish so easily from my life like it didn't matter, but I realise now how difficult the whole thing was. We were too naive to think we could fall straight back into a friendship after all the history we shared, but I miss you. I'm willing to reevaluate the entire situation if you are? You have a very striking face. The blonde only further highlights that, but I fancied you when you were bald, so I might be entirely biased in my evaluation. I don't know? You never reached out and I didn't want to assume you thought about me at all. It would hurt to much if I was confronted with the idea of you totally erasing me from your life. I'm not trying to recreate the past, but I know I definitely want you in my future, in whatever capacity you allow that to be.

[mattrsmit]

you both know me far too well, i hate it sometimes... i like to think myself unpredictable, but when people know your little fixations it's so hard! to be fair, she probably made the right call because i'd absolutely still have boxes full of completely random things i kept saving 'cause you never know, right? i appreciate that, i really do. i know you felt awful about the wine, and the fact i managed not to cry deserves some sort of medal because younger me was very emotionally attached to those shirts... i say as i am still very much attached to them. i'm really glad we're talking too, lil. it already feels lighter somehow, even if i can't help but feel bad for going silent on you. i don't expect us to rewind time or pretend nothing happened, but i do think we owe ourselves the chance to see what this can be now, with a bit more honesty and a lot more life experience. i'd like that. i definitely look better with hair. that buzz cut was criminal, and i still have absolutely no idea how you managed to convince yourself it suited me. you were never erased from my life, not even close. i might wanted to put some distance between us in fear i couldn't have you in my life the way i wanted. you've always been someone important to me, and i don't want you questioning me wanting you in my life ever again. i'm surprised you do, i was expecting you wanting some distance now, a little payback for what i put you through. but whatever the future ends up looking like, i'd really like you to be in it too.

[alcockmiilly]

when it was brought up to me in an interview, my heart was smashed to pieces! we are not leaving it to chance and must see each other soon. you can't say favorite, but i am the og rhaenrya, at least! i love the both of you honestly. please, lets find some reason! maybe you know during the battle above the god's eye, he just has those flashbacks. that would be heart wrenching, but amazing! never thought i'd see the day where i would say i miss those costumes even. i have been and i was screaming at the tv with the premiere. i miss emma so much, i just miss everyone! of course, i'm team black! i am so curious about the greens though, but no, team black all the way.

[mattrsmit]

they mentioned you to emma and me as well, i really hope the message made its way back to you! you really are the og, and you paved the way for everything emma gets to do with the character now. we love you! daemon remembering rhaenyra and every moment they shared, all the way back to those first episodes, just so you could come back... that would be absolutely devastating. him having those visions where it all ends with daemon and caraxes falling into the god's eye... ugh, i'm nowhere near emotionally prepared for that. i know you miss the costumes, but do you miss the wig? because i certainly won't. when season four starts filming, we expect you to be there with us somehow. i'm glad you haven't switched sides, though. i was about to start calling you a traitor.

[limeamell]

don't wory i give myself some credit, i did not know how hard being a single dad was until i was one. i think i am doing a good job, but my kids are old enough to know that things did not work out and they are trying to navigate it as much as i am. i just wanted something to stay the same for them, i didn't want to up route them when filming finished. i offered the person a good ammount and they took it. when they did i was so relieved. thats good, i am sure it also makes things easier because you have known everyone forever.

[mattrsmit]

sometimes i've wondered what it would be like to be a father, but i always knew i wouldn't want to do it alone. of course, life doesn't always go to plan and you can't control the circumstances, and if i ever found myself in that position i imagine it would be incredibly daunting. that's nice! keeping that sense of stability by buying the house instead of uprooting them says so much about the kind of dad you are. exactly. i think once you've grown up supporting a team, they're just your team, for better or worse. i don't think i could ever bring myself to switch allegiances, even if it might make life a little less stressful.

[alcockmiilly]

are going to just keep missing each other? when i was doing press and found out we were in the same place, i wish i could have seen you! also, i miss working with everyone! if only they could do some flashbacks so i could come back in some capacity. i have been watching the new season and i'm hooked! @mattrsmit

[mattrsmit]

i know, right? i am gutted to find out we'd just missed each other yet again. next time, we're not leaving it to chance, we're making the time, i miss my first rhaenyra! can't say favourite because i just love you two so much. we had so much fun, didn't we? i'd happily take any excuse to have you back, if we could have daemon have visions of your rhaenyra 'til the show ends, that'd be nice. i'm so glad you've been watching, though! we're all doing it in honour of all of you who left the show too early, i know especially emma probably have you in their mind often. you're still in our team, right?

[mxrtinezluis]

I'm sure if you know my fiance, she's likely already told you, but! On the 4th of July, I proposed to my sweet, lovely lady, Valerie. We are getting married in October. But how was everyone else's 4th of July this year? How are everyone's headaches from all the drinking we all did right? @limelightblvdstarters

[mattrsmit]

congratulations! that's amazing news. october will be here before you know it, and i hope the wedding is everything you've both dreamed of. i might not be the best person to ask, i'm british, but i did enjoy seeing everyone else having a great time, though. my american friends had fun with barbecues, fireworks, and my favourite part: drinks! thinking in spending the 4th of july with all of them next year, who knows?

[phxllpjackbrooks]

Is anyone else this excited to go back to work? I feel like I'm a kid waiting for his birthday. I can't wait to show off what I been cooking. Heyo I"m Phillip or CM Punk for those who watch wrestling. If you don't watch wrestling, hello, I'm Phillip, and I'm really too excited to get my ass back in a ring.

[mattrsmit]

i love that kind of excitement. i think if you don't get that little kid feeling every now and then, it's probably time to start asking yourself why. i'm certainly a workaholic myself, but i've been working nonstop these days so i'd appreciate some room to breathe. but still, whatever you've been cooking, i hope it lives up to the hype… judging by how excited you sound, i've got a feeling it will.

[lilyjcms]

Blame my poor organisational skills. That shirt could be inducted into a sports history museum with how long it must have been gathering dust. Surprised you haven't missed it. I know you have a few different versions of their kit, but you're usually so possessive over them. Remember the time I accidentally spilt red wine over you when you were wearing one? I felt awful, I thought you were going to cry. Wait, you're not just saying that so I don't feel weird, are you? If this conversation makes you uncomfortable, I would completely understand. You did opt out of whatever strange dymanic we have and I am kind of intruding on the space you created. Do you actually miss me? That doesn't sound real. I don't know, I've never really ghosted you, Matt. You were the one that slowly disappeared from my life. At a certain point, there was only so much I could do without feeling like I was annoying you. Maybe we should reevaluate? We were both in an emotional state and that could have made us act irrationally. Of course I'm watching. Very found of you in a long, blonde wig if you're curious. Matt, I don't think you ever really left my mind. At least, not fully. There were bad moments, but they're entirely eclipsed by all the good memories we shared. Sometimes I find myself thinking back in those times and wishing we could go back. We were so happy then and I guess I miss it more than I thought I did.

[mattrsmit]

can't say i've missed it, but even if i had, after we broke up, my mum stayed with me for a while and i honestly thought she might've got rid of it. don't remind me about the red wine… looking back, i probably did look like i was on the verge of tears. i think i held myself together more than i thought myself capable of! of course not. you know i don't say things just for the sake of saying them. i'd happily spare you the embarrassment, but it's also the truth. i'm really sorry for how i handled things. i never wanted to put that distance between us, especially not without being honest with you first. you didn't deserve to be left wondering why i seemed to disappear or feeling like you were annoying me or anything. that was unfair on you. i do miss you, lil. i really do. and i think you're right, we probably were both dealing with more than we realised at the time. maybe we do owe it to ourselves to look at things with clearer heads now. oh, that damn wig. at least this one looks better. i'm very happy you're watching it and enjoying me with decent blond hair. …really? i don't think you ever really left my mind either. you should know that whenever i think of us, it's always the good things that come first. i don't know if you can ever recreate what you once had, but i do know i'd rather have you in my life.

[limeamell]

the vibes of the beach are just so nice, it's always so calming and my kids love it too, so they never want to leave. being a single dad is really hard. somedays you think you can never win, but whenever i take them to set or take the to the beach i never loose. we will be able to start setitng up the house then. i bought the place i was renting and its right on the beach. nice to meet you matt. thank you i am excited, but at the same time scared. nope i am form canada, so i have been a jays fan all my life.

[mattrsmit]

they are! i can see why none of you ever want to leave. i can only imagine how tough being a single dad can be. you're doing the job of two people, so i hope you give yourself a bit of credit. the fact that they light up when you take them to set or spend the day at the beach says a lot about your parenting. congratulations on buying the place! having a home right on the beach sounds like a pretty brilliant reward for all your hard work. i have a feeling there'll be a lot of very happy memories made there. that makes perfect sense then! i've also stuck with the team i grew up with, through the good years and the frustrating ones. it makes the big wins feel that much sweeter. i'm sure you've had plenty of emotional rollercoaster moments watching them over the years!

[blythstcm]

i was telling ewan that i just needed to get my blonde wig back and i'd be perfect for your show. i feel like you need to throw me a bone here, think you could speak to somebody about getting me a cameo? it might be the highlight of my life. @mattrsmit

[mattrsmit]

Tom, I think you've massively overestimated the amount of influence I have around here. I'd love to tell you I can make one phone call and then you get the role, but I'm fairly certain they'd politely remind me to stay in my lane. That said... if you turn up wearing the blonde wig, I reckon we could confuse enough people to get you backstage. Whether you'd make it on stage is another story but I promise to put as much effort as I can! I think seeing you wandering around looking completely convinced you belong there might end up working.

[lilyjcms]

Fashionably late as always, I know we're now in the depths of summer, but I thought a spring clean was in dire need around my house. You know how I can be. With all the travelling, I come home, place things down and then forget to move them. Naturally, I decided now would be a great time to tackle the hell I have forced myself to suffer through and this time, I decided to go through all the big stuff. This happened to include that dingy old closet in one of the guest bedrooms I rarely enter and well, as I sorted through, I found one of your old Blackburn Rovers t-shirts. I didn't realise I still had anything of yours lying around and for some reason, I still couldn't bring myself to throw it out. Maybe it's the crummy shirt or maybe everyone talking about House Of The Dragon, but I guess you're on my mind and I wanted to reach out and let you know that I'm thinking about you... which is extremely embarrassing to admit with the way we left things, but it's not the first time I've humiliated myself in front of you and probably won't be the last. @mattrsmit

[mattrsmit]

I can't believe you've had it all along, but I'm even more surprised that it survived one of your great clean-outs. Poor thing must've been buried for years throughout all those 'I'll deal with this later'. Of all things, that really is a relic. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you reached out. You don't have to feel embarrassed about it, at all. Plus, if we're admitting things now, I should say that you've been in my mind for quite some time now. I know it sounds false 'cause I haven't said anything to you myself, but didn't know what the reaction would be and I can only be ghosted by you a couple of times before my ego gets fatally hurt. It's really nice hearing from you, Lil. Are you watching the show? If you are, I hope you're liking it so far! I like being on your mind, that I can't deny, hopefully it's all good things but I know for a fact that I might've earned to be in your bad books. I'd be surprised if it were all fond memories.

[limeamell]

thats it i am officially moving to the beach. you think i would get sick of it since i work at it every single day, but i am what you would call a water boy. i am going to be super sad when august hits thats for sure. hey i am am stephen, i was born in cananda, but i got my usa cistizan ship. i love the blue jays.

@limelightblvdstarters

[mattrsmit]

I don't blame you one bit. I think if I worked by the beach every day it'd have the exact opposite effect on me, I wouldn't want to leave either. I'd become one of those people who plans their entire life around being within walking distance of the sea. August is going to hit you hard, isn't it? You'll be looking out the window wondering why you're not on the beach instead. And nice to officially meet you, Stephen! I'm Matt. Congratulations on the citizenship as well. I imagine that's a pretty special milestone. Now, is being a Blue Jays fan a lifelong commitment, or did someone recruit you into the fandom along the way?

[rhxaripley]

Being freshly divorced and having a whole house to yourself is weird. I'm trying to find things to fill my home with and I realize now a lot of my stuff was Buddy's things. It's weird to have such an empty house. But I am glad I get to live my best single life. Does anyone else realize they devote themselves to work so much that their house looks like a wasteland? @limelightblvdstarters

[mattrsmit]

I think that's probably a lot more common than people admit. After sharing a home with someone for so long, it's only natural that so much of what's in it feels like it belongs to both of you, or to them. But maybe there's something nice about that too. You get to make the place yours again, little by little, without having to rush it. I absolutely relate to the work part. The good news is, you've got the perfect excuse to redecorate now... and maybe buy a few things purely because you like them.

[andrew-garfielld]

MATT SMITH — Photographed by Caroline Tompkins for Variety (May 29, 2024)