Matt Smith's Best Roles, Ranked From Good To Greatest

While we only have a few episodes of HBO's House of the Dragon under our belt, the series is already dishing stellar performances. One comes in the form of Matt Smith's portrayal of Daemon Targaryen, the power-hungry little brother of the king, dead set on acquiring the iron throne.

HBO / Via tenor.com

For fans of BBC's sci-fi series Doctor Who or Netflix's historical drama The Crown, Smith's phenomenal acting chops are nothing new. Over the course of his career, Smith has dazzled as both the good guy and the bad guy — so I'm ranking his best roles, based on memorability of each respective performance.

BBC / Via giphy.com

It is also worth noting that this list only includes TV and film. Smith has also appeared onstage for West End productions of the musical American Psycho and Duncan Macmillan's play Lungs, alongside The Crown co-star Claire Foy!

11.Alex/Skynet (Terminator Genisys)

Paramount Pictures / Via gfycat.com

At the bottom of this list sits Terminator Genisys, a film where Matt Smith appears only fleetingly. Despite such little screentime, he is a prominent character in the storyline, playing the embodiment of Skynet, a super-smart intelligence system. He shares the screen with fellow Targaryen Emilia Clarke and gets to be a futuristic robot/hologram.

10.Charles Manson (Charlie Says)

Epic Level Entertainment & Roxwell Films

In Charlie Says, an indie movie that shed light on the lives of three women brainwashed by Charles Manson, Smith plays Manson himself. While the film was met with mixed reviews, Smith gives a great performance and, per usual, steps into the shoes of a real-life person with ease.

9.Robert Mapplethorpe (Mapplethorpe)

Samuel Goldwyn Films

This indie film was shot in only 19 days and starred Smith as the titular character, Robert Mapplethorpe. Known as one of the most controversial photographers in American history, Mapplethorpe chronicles his unconventional career up until his death.

8.Parson Collins (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)

Lionsgate / Via tenor.com

Lest we forget the bizarre film that combined Jane Austen and zombies. Smith plays this story's version of Mr. Collins, the heir to the Bennet estate and cousin to Elizabeth and her sisters. Collins' apocalyptic combat skills might not be up to par, but, even playing this outrageous man, Smith shines.

7.Milo (Morbius)

Columbia Pictures / Via tenor.com

Set in the Marvel universe, Milo is the brother of Morbius, a doctor who experiments with the blood of vampire bats until things go horribly wrong (naturally). Milo is the literal worst and tries to get his brother to embrace being a psychotic vampire, but Smith is excellent in his villainous portrayal.

6.Jack (Last Night in Soho)

Universal Pictures, Focus Features / Via giphy.com

In this indie horror film, Smith takes on the role of Jack, a seedy nightclub manager living in the '60s. He excels as the charming, unsuspecting villain and has an epic dance scene with Anya Taylor-Joy. Smith has a knack for adapting to any time period, from Last Night In Soho's 1960s era to House of the Dragon's fantastical Middle Ages setting.

5.Martin Bright (Official Secrets)

Clear Pictures Entertainment & Raindog Films

Based on true events, Smith plays Martin Bright, a journalist with the Observer who covers the leak of an illegal operation between American and British intelligence in 2003. The movie features a star-studded cast that includes Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Ralph Fiennes. This role as an investigative journalist differs from many of Smith's outrageous personas, but he delivers, and the film is well worth the watch.

4.Richard Galloway (The Forgiven)

Brookstreet Pictures

In The Forgiven, which made its US debut this year, David and Joe (Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain, respectively) venture to Morocco to visit their ultra-wealthy friend Richard Galloway — portrayed by Smith. Richard embodies everything terrible about people with too much money and too little empathy, and viewers will love to hate him. The Forgiven brings us a disgruntling tale of white privilege (think The White Lotus but darker), and Smith's convincing performance adds to the madness.

3.Daemon Targaryen (House of the Dragon)

HBO / Via tenor.com

While we have yet to see how Daemon's story unfolds in House of the Dragon, Smith is already stealing the show. As the younger brother of King Viserys, it's clear that Daemon is going to be a (lovable) antagonist set on conspiring against his family in order to obtain the iron throne. He has already stolen a dragon egg, challenged the king, defeated the Crabfeeder, and proved to be absolutely FLAWLESS.

2.The Duke of Edinburgh (The Crown)

Netflix / Via tenor.com

The masterful Netflix series chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth took the world by storm when it first premiered in 2016. Its first two seasons show us the youngest variants of the royals — and Matt Smith excels in his portrayal of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. While it's a massive task to take on the role of a real person (let alone the queen's husband), Smith embodies a man who struggles with the weight of being part of the most famous family in the world.

1.The Eleventh Doctor (Doctor Who)

BBC / Via tenor.com

At the top of this list is Smith's most noteworthy role, the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in the cult-classic TV show Doctor Who. While each iteration of this famed character is portrayed by a different actor, Smith is one of the most beloved versions — and with good reason. His performance as the Eleventh Doctor is smart, witty, endearing, and totally timeless.

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