One of the House of the Dragon producers has revealed she doesn’t get why Daemon Targaryen has become the new “Internet Boyfriend” and… same bestie!
Writer and executive producer Sara Hess was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, where she said she was “baffled” by the Daemon love. I must concur: my TikTok FYP is simply filled to the brim with fancams of that blonde man AKA Matt Smith.
The interviewer asked Hess and director Clare Kilner about fans’ thirst for Daemon — specifically when he helped his brother King Viserys (Paddy Considine) reach the Iron Throne in episode nine.
The Hollywood Reporter flagged the idea that even Daemon’s kinder moments are “ultimately self-serving”.
Hess completely agreed.
“He’s become [the] Internet Boyfriend in a way that baffles me,” she said.
“Not that Matt isn’t incredibly charismatic and wonderful, and he’s incredible in the role.
“But Daemon himself is … I don’t want him to be my boyfriend!”
She went into a little bit more detail about why she found the Daemon thirst so bemusing.
“I’m a little baffled how they’re all, ‘Oh, daddy!’ And I’m just like, ‘Really?’” she said.
“How — in what way — was he a good partner, father or brother — to anybody?”
Hess added that Daemon “ain’t Paul Rudd“.
So true, and also now I would love to see Paul Rudd cameo in House of the Dragon à la Ed Sheeran in Game of Thrones.
Clare Kilmer said she was glad people were so invested in the characters through their various ups and downs.
“I just love the fact people are so involved with these characters, and I think that’s part of the fun of it,” she said.
“One minute you like someone and the next minute you like someone else.”
She added that she wasn’t surprised by the Daemon thirst, putting it down to Matt Smith’s charisma.
“Matt is such a risk-taker in his performances and he’s got that little smile and, you know… you can’t help it!
“He is charismatic. People love a baddie.”
But she also agreed she didn’t think Daemon was a great dad or brother.
Daemon’s done some bloody dodgy stuff on the show — including killing his wife, lopping a bloke’s head in half and marrying his niece. It’s classic GoT fare, but doesn’t exactly make him boyfriend material.
He’s deffo the embodiment of “grey morality” which we’ve come to expect from George R.R. Martin‘s world. In fact, Martin even named him his favourite Targaryen.
“He’s a notorious bad boy, a rogue in every sense of the word,” he said in a 2018 video.
Martin went on to describe him as “colourful and unpredictable”, which is certainly one way of putting it.
For the Daemon stans out there, Hess also spilled a little bit of tea for the series finale and next season, saying viewers will get a “different side” to him. I can already see the fancams.
