House of the Dragon star Matt Smith is being applauded on social media after effortlessly correcting an interviewer who misgendered his costar Emma D'Arcy.
The moment happened at the premier event for the Max show's second season, which drops June 16.
While walking the red carpet, former Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins accidentally referred to D'Arcy, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, as "she" and "her."
Without missing a beat or causing any ruckus, Smith subtly corrected Perkins in his response to her question.
Perkins said to Smith:
“I was talking to Emma and she was saying, she was talking about how amazing that end scene was… and she gave you all the credit.”
In response, Smith simply referred to D'Arcy with the correct pronouns, subtly making the correction to Perkins:
"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.”
Many were impressed by the easy, breezy way Smith handled the issue, making the point crystal clear without getting upset or causing any embarrassment for Perkins, who as an LGBTQ+ person herself surely meant no harm.
People on social media instantly erupted in praise for the simple way Smith handled the error.
D'Arcy, who plays Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel, became something of a sensation House of the Dragon's first season, especially following a mega-viral interview in which they said, in the sexiest way possible, that their favorite cocktail was "a negroni sbagliato with a bit of prosecco in it."
They're joined in season two by trans actor and YouTuber Abigail Thorn, a newcomer to the show.
