Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who (2010–2013), Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in The Crown (2016–2017) for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon (2022–present).
Smith initially aspired to be a professional footballer, but spondylolysis forced him out of the sport. After joining the National Youth Theatre and studying drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia, he became an actor in 2003, performing in plays including Murder in the Cathedral, Fresh Kills, The History Boys and On the Shore of the Wide World in London theatres. Extending his repertoire into West End theatre, he has since performed in the stage adaptation of Swimming with Sharks with Christian Slater, followed a year later by a critically acclaimed performance in That Face.