Matt Smith is being praised for politely correcting an interviewer who used the wrong pronouns when referring to his House of the Dragon co-star, Emma D’Arcy.
The former Doctor Who star was speaking with Sue Perkins, host of Sky’s fan show House of the Dragon: War Room, when the TV presenter mistakenly referred to D’Arcy as a “she.”
People have praised Matt Smith on social media for his thoughtful and respectful handling of the situation.
One fan wrote, “And this is how it’s done, my friends. Matt is an absolute TREASURE of a human being.”
Another commented, “Matt correcting Sue on Emma’s pronouns, oh my heart.”
A third person remarked, “Emma deserves better, as this wasn’t the only time this happened at the premiere. I am, however, howling at how passive-aggressive Matt got real quickly.”
In a clip of the moment, Perkins said, “I was talking to Emma, and she was talking about how amazing that end scene was… and she gave you all the credit.”
Without hesitation, Smith quickly corrected the interviewer, emphasizing D’Arcy’s correct pronouns.
He responded, “I can’t take the credit, [but] I have to say, aren’t they brilliant? They are absolutely brilliant, and you’re in for a real treat with Emma this year. I think Emma’s put in… a really great performance.”
Later, Perkins took to social media to address the mistake and apologized for misgendering D’Arcy.
The former Great British Bake Off host wrote, “It was a s****y mistake. Had loads of stuff going on in my earpiece and so wasn’t as focused as I should have been.”
“No excuses though. These things matter and I feel terrible about it. Am a massive fan of their work and would never want to be disrespectful x,” Perkins added.
In response, one person wrote, “As someone who is misgendered on a regular basis, we get it. Mistakes are made.”
Perkins reiterated, “I’m sorry x.”
D’Arcy identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, which are gender-neutral.
In an interview with E! News, D’Arcy discussed the pressure of presenting as a woman earlier in their career.
“It wasn’t sustainable, and I stopped pretending,” D’Arcy shared. “And weirdly, at that point, I got nominated for Best Actress for the Golden Globes, which is like beautifully ironic.”
Beyond the impact on their career, D’Arcy shared that the nomination signifies that “the space for trans people and gender non-conforming people is getting bigger all the time.”
