Matt Smith (born October 28, 1982) is an English actor recognized for his dynamic performances across television, film, and stage. He is best known for his iconic portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC’s Doctor Who (2010–2014), Prince Philip in Netflix’s acclaimed series The Crown (2016–2017), for which he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s hit fantasy series House of the Dragon (2022–present).
Originally aspiring to a professional football career, Smith turned to acting after a spinal condition, spondylolysis, ended his time in sport. He joined the National Youth Theatre and later studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. He began his acting career on stage in 2003, earning acclaim for roles in Murder in the Cathedral, The History Boys, On the Shore of the Wide World, and That Face in the West End. He also appeared alongside Christian Slater in Swimming with Sharks.
Smith made his television debut as Jim Taylor in BBC adaptations of Philip Pullman’s The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North (2006). His breakout television role came in Party Animals (2007) as Danny.
His film work includes notable performances in Womb (2010), Terminator Genisys (2015) as the physical embodiment of Skynet, Last Night in Soho (2021) as a sinister 1960s pimp, and Morbius (2022) as Milo Morbius.
