Matt Smith Says He'd Prefer England Winning the World Cup to Winning an Oscar

Actor Matt Smith, best known as the 11th Doctor in "Doctor Who" and as Prince Daemon Targaryen in "House of the Dragon," has stated that he would rather see England win the World Cup than win an Academy Award himself. Speaking ahead of England's opening match against Croatia, Smith said, "Would I rather win an Oscar over England winning the World Cup? Oh, England winning the World Cup, man. The England team is of great importance in my life. I am a huge, huge football fan." The 43-year-old actor was a promising youth footballer, captaining Leicester City and playing for Northampton Town and Nottingham Forest before a back injury ended his sporting career and led him to acting. Smith, a lifelong Blackburn Rovers fan, described football as "my first love and probably is in many ways."

Despite his passion, Smith had to forgo his ticket for England's opener due to work commitments the following day. He recalled watching the 2018 semi-finals in Russia, where England lost, and joked, "I am bad luck at England games!" If England does not advance, Smith hopes Brazil will win, calling them "my favourite people" and expressing interest in attending some matches.

Smith also addressed the recent turmoil surrounding "Doctor Who," including the departure of writer Russell T Davies and the scrapping of a Christmas special, with the BBC stating the show is being "rested" while transitioning to a new production model. Smith expressed confidence that the show would survive, saying, "The Doctor never dies. He never goes away. I am sure he, she or they will be back in force and it will continue to evolve and change and grow, because it is the most brilliant concept for a show."

Reflecting on his time as the Doctor, Smith recalled the pressure of taking on the iconic role at age 26, the youngest actor to do so at the time. He mentioned that running from monsters in the show led to knee problems requiring surgery—a common issue among actors who have played the Doctor. "When you are facing the alien on set, you run down the corridor and see the Dalek and turn," he explained.

Smith also discussed his role in "House of the Dragon," which drew 25 million global viewers per episode for the second series. He expressed enthusiasm for his character, saying, "I like being in the blood and the mud. I am always like 'more blood, more blood.'" He noted that he knew little about "Game of Thrones" before landing the role but attributes his success to taking on diverse projects, from "Terminator Genisys" alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger to playing Prince Philip in "The Crown." Smith added that the "House of the Dragon" opportunity came at a difficult time in his life, though he did not elaborate further.