Posted in: HBO, TV | Tagged: house of the dragon, matt smith

House of the Dragon Star Matt Smith Not a Big Fan of Trigger Warnings

Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, Doctor Who) explains why "I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings" and how they impact storytelling.

HBO and showrunner Ryan Condal's House of the Dragon is no stranger to the discussion about whether or not shows should have "trigger warning" messages in place for episodes that include particularly intense and/or disturbing scenes. The first season was bookended with intense birthing scenes involving Aemma Arynn (Sian Brooke) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) that many viewers felt deserved some type of heads-up. One person who is not a fan of the practice is series star Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Sacred Acre), who believes that "everything's being dialled and dumbed down" to the point where it's impacting the storytelling process.

After noting he was "100 per cent" looked to play diverse complex characters ("That's the f***ing point"), Smith shifted into the change he sees in how audiences approach a show, movie, play, etc – and it's not one that he particularly likes. "We should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular. It's OK to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything's being dialled and dumbed down. We're telling audiences they're going to be scared before they've watched something," Smith explained during an interview with The Times.

Smith continued, "Isn't being shocked, surprised, stirred the point? Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame. I'm not sure I'm on board with trigger warnings. I used to go to a local video shop and get 'Slither,' 'Basic Instinct,' 'Disclosure' – all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them. I watched 'Friday the 13th' when I was nine." But with that one, even Smith had to pause for a second before adding, "Actually, that scarred me. Absolutely ruined me."

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