When Matt Smith appeared as Doctor Who, he was only 26 years old, the youngest actor ever to portray the Doctor. While Smith had done some previous work on television in the United Kingdom, Doctor Who made him a household name. No one could have predicted the meteoric rise his star would take. His fresh take on the Doctor earned widespread acclaim and resonated with audiences old and young alike. Smith likes to say the Doctor is “an old man trapped in a young man’s body.” Choosing to focus on this duality enabled him to master the art of portraying multi-dimensional characters.
Smith has wisely chosen diverse characters throughout his career to keep from getting typecast, bouncing from movies to TV and back again, and working in both the United States and the UK. He’s had his share of playing antagonists, like in Morbius, but excels at playing more nuanced characters. He recently portrayed Prince Philip in The Crown and showed a balanced take on the royal, a figure many have mixed feelings about. In his current role as Prince Daemon Targaryen in The House of the Dragon, he took the internet by storm, with fans worldwide falling for the questionable prince. With his upcoming British horror film Starve Acre alongside Morfydd Clark, it’s a good time to look back on Smith’s filmography and investigate his best movies and TV shows. In each performance, you can see him using what he’s learned from the role before and continuing to evolve into one of the finest actors of his generation.
10 ‘Official Secrets’ (2019)
Directed by Gavin Hood
Official Secrets stars Smith and Keira Knightley in a thrilling drama based on the true story of journalist Martin Bright and GCHQ analyst Katherine Gun. Gun blew the cover on an illegal spying operation designed to strong-arm the United Nations Security Council into supporting Bush’s invasion of Iraq. One of Knightley’s few forays away from period pieces like Anna Karenina and The Imitation Game, she does an excellent job of portraying the stress and intelligence that are the foremost characteristics of Gun.
Admittedly, it was a slow burn that didn’t particularly excite audiences. Still, Official Secrets handled the sensitive topic of the lead into the Iraq War well. Viewers are reminded that although Gun paid a heavy price for her morality, the end result was the same. Bush invaded Iraq, and no party faced any consequences besides Gun for her whistleblowing. Smith’s take on Bright held his usual unruffled intuitiveness, and the film served as an adequate political beat overall.
Watch on Hulu
9 ‘Morbius’ (2022)
Director: Daniel Spinosa
Widely panned by critics and audiences alike, Morbius was considered Sony’s worst Marvel attempt ever until Madame Web entered the chat. It currently holds a whopping 15% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a much higher 71%. (Madame Web would earn its own 11% and 57%, respectively.) Smith’s performance as Milo greatly contributed to that 71% audience score. The rival to Jared Leto‘s Morbius, a jealous brother hungry for the cure, Smith had many fans rooting for his character over the titular hero.
Whether it be from the shirtless dance scene or his wicked acceptance of vampirism and willingness to feed, he was a well-placed contrast to the somber and somewhat boring Morbius. Moviegoers felt the energy rise when he came on screen and unfortunately fall when he left it. While Morbius will never be a shining star in anyone’s filmography, it makes it all the more impressive what Smith accomplished with the material he was given. This take even had fans hoping he would get a turn as Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.
Morbius
- Release Date
- April 1, 2022
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
8 ‘Party Animals’ (2007)
Created by Ben Richards and Robert Jones
Party Animals was a BBC series produced by World Productions. The show orbited a group of 20-somethings in the British Parliament. Smith played Danny Foster, a Labour Party researcher whose older brother is a lobbyist. The show followed the pair’s antics with their friends on and off the clock. Party Animals, an underrated comedy, was Smith’s first major TV show. It showcased why he was perfect to play the Doctor later. As Danny Foster, Smith showed an earnestness and boisterousness that he coupled with physical comedy.
Unafraid to be as cheesy as he was heartfelt, Smith held nothing back. It takes that kind of courage and near-wild abandon to step into the timelord’s shoes. The show only lasted one season, but it’s definitely worth watching, not just for a young Matt Smith but for the entire cast, who all deliver fantastic performances. Fast-forward and Smith has come a long way, next starring in director Pablo Trapero’s English debut film & Sons alongside Bill Nighy.
Buy on Amazon
7 ‘The Forgiven’ (2021)
Directed by John Michael McDonagh
The Forgiven stars Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain as a miserably wealthy couple that shows little empathy for the Moroccan lives surrounding them. Smith plays the host of the festivities, Richard Galloway, a bored billionaire who’s claimed himself a Moroccan retreat where he can indulge in his many vices and desires. Starting as a rather pleasant host, Richard walks the line between the selfishness one would expect of a hedonistic foreigner and touches on what seems like genuine concern for his guests and the Moroccans.
While Fiennes and Chastain shine as the vapid duo tiring of each other, Smith’s Richard tugs at your curiosity. Where did he meet his American partner, a man named Dally, and what made them choose to bunker down outside Tangier together? While viewers may never know, interested readers may gain more insight from the novel based on the same title by Lawrence Osborn.
Watch on Hulu
6 ‘Patient Zero’ (2018)
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitsky
Patient Zero is a sci-fi zombie thriller starring Natalie Dormer as Gina alongside another Game of Thrones alum, John Bradley as Scooter, Stanley Tucci as the Professor, and Smith as Morgan. One of the most significant aspects of this performance that sets it apart from other works by Smith is the American accent he uses for the film. Though some viewers called this particular accent into question, it was more than passable and played with 100% commitment by Smith, which can be hard to pull off. Actors often get caught slipping in and out of accents they attempt.
Morgan is the only known person in the film to have been bitten by these rabid, sentient zombies and not turned. This gives him a unique ability to communicate with those who do. It’s an interesting twist on the zombie genre, and they throw in a splintered romance and a bromance undone for extra drama. The film was delayed and then released straight to digital, but it contains worthy performances from Dormer, Smith, and Tucci.
Patient Zero
- Release Date
- September 14, 2018
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
Watch on Amazon
5 ‘Charlie Says’ (2018)
Directed by Mary Harron
Smith filmed Patient Zero in 2015. He must have worked on his American accent between then and his time on set for Charlie Says in 2018. Whether it was simply a ton of practice or an accent coach, the effort proved worthwhile. Smith’s turn as Charles Manson is equal parts charming, manic, and intimidating. Surrounding Smith is a stellar cast of women, including Hannah Murray, formerly of Game of Thrones, Sosie Bacon of Smile, The Walking Dead’s Merritt Wever, and Suki Waterhouse.
From director Mary Harron, who also helmed American Psycho, Charlie Says follows the stories of the women whom Manson manipulated into taking part in murder and the woman trying to help them find some sanity in the aftermath. Even surrounded by such talent, Manson always draws the gaze while on screen. Some credit can be claimed by the viewers’ knowledge of what a beast he is representing, but even so, Smith proves to be one of the more impressive cinematic portrayals of the psychopath.
Watch on AMC+
4 ‘Last Night in Soho’ (2021)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Last Night in Soho is one of Matt Smith’s most charismatic and enigmatic roles. Edgar Wright does a fantastic job of letting the audience fall for Jack (Smith), right alongside Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie). At their first encounter, Sandie wows him with a dance number, and Jack immediately offers her a singing gig before stepping in to defend her honor from an aggressive and crusty old suit. Ellie witnesses these 1960s escapades through Sandie’s eyes via time-twisting visions from her same flat in the future.
The three actors star in one of Wright’s twistiest and most cerebral films to date. Credit must be given to McKenzie and Taylor-Joy, as they played impeccable and mind-bending mirror versions of each other, an effect achieved through ingenious practical techniques. Likewise, Jack and Sandie have a chemistry that pops right off the screen and helps the film maintain its air of enigma as Ellie attempts to learn whom to trust. The film was initially overlooked but has amassed a solid following since its digital release and continues to stand out as one of Smith’s most enjoyable exhibitions.
Last Night in Soho
- Release Date
- October 21, 2021
- Director
- Edgar Wright
- Runtime
- 118
3 ‘House of the Dragon’ (2022-Present)
Created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal
Matt Smith’s portrayal of Prince Daemon of the House Targaryen is delicious. Referred to as “The Internet’s Boyfriend” and “Prince Toxic,” many fans have had to question their taste and reasoning. Others do not question it at all and enjoy the guilty pleasure of fawning over Daemon. Whether he is starring across from the young Rhaenyra, played by Milly Alcock, or the older version, played by Emma D’Arcy, Smith manages to create a chemistry that sizzles and sparks—a quality befitting the Prince of the House of Dragons.
Smith puts all of his experience to work as Daemon, ensuring audiences can never fully count him as a villain or a hero. His ambition, anger, and temperament for war are evident, but so is his love for his brother, for Rhaenyra, and for his children. His acting skills have been honed to the point that he confidently improvised some of the fans’ favorite scenes. In acts as simple as picking up a fallen crown or turning a mother away from the room to receive devastating news in some semblance of privacy, he elevated the material. These personal touches ground the fantasy of the series and show why Daemon may be the most anticipated character’s return in Season 2, airing June 16th.
House of the Dragon
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Creator
- Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
- Seasons
- 3
2 ‘The Crown’ (2016-2017)
Created by Peter Morgan
For the first two seasons of The Crown, Matt Smith plays Prince Philip next to Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth and Vanessa Kirby as her sister Princess Margaret. The series collected an enormous number of nominations and awards for the crew, including several nominations for Smith’s portrayal of the Duke of Edinburgh. Often known as a problematic prince who preferred military life to a castle and likely committed adultery, it would be easy to paint the prince a villain and allow the viewers to hate him.
However, by casting Matt Smith, they could ensure the cad remained likable, even sympathetic at times. The chemistry between the Queen and her Prince is organic and fiery (with no hint of the pay gap issue behind the scenes). And whether or not you agree with his parenting style, it cannot be denied that he is a committed father. Smith sunk into the role, playing him with all the gravitas and unexpected candidness required. Tobias Menzies and Jonathan Pryce, despite their worthy efforts, never reached the level of perfection that Smith did.
The Crown
- Release Date
- November 4, 2016
- Seasons
- 6
Watch on Netflix
1 ‘Doctor Who’ (2010-2014)
Created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson
As many regenerations as the Doctor may continue to have, only so many actors will get to step into the role of the “last” Timelord–fewer still who can make it look like they were born for it. David Tennant is one such Doctor. When it came time for Matt Smith to put the bow tie on, New Who was wrapping up a wildly popular run with Tennant and his companions. Any Doctor having to follow that knew what a challenge they were in for. No one but Matt Smith could have pulled it off; just ask Karen Gillan (who played Amy).
Paired with two new favorite companions, Amy and Rory (Arthur Darvill), Smith’s Doctor became known for having a boyish charm that could also unleash an ancient temper. Simultaneously more youthful than Tennant and even angrier than Eccleston, the 11th Doctor was the entire spectrum. Paired with Steven Moffat’s show running and a few new companions, he took Doctor Who to the heights of fame, setting record ratings. At just 26, Smith showed us he could turn from “Doctor boyfriend” to your worst enemy and back again. As varied as his suit of roles has been since no other show or movie has given Smith the same opportunity to show his range and the same time to shine as Doctor Who.
Doctor Who
- Release Date
- March 17, 2006
- Seasons
- 14
- Studio
- BBC America
