Matt Smith is receiving praise after correcting an interviewer who used the wrong pronouns when discussing his House of the Dragon co-star, Emma D’Arcy.
The former Doctor Who star was speaking with Sue Perkins, who hosts Sky’s fan show, House of the Dragon: War Room, when the TV presenter mislabeled D’Arcy a ‘she.’
People have taken to social media and applauded Smith for his gentle 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 added: “Matt correcting Sue on Emma’s pronouns, oh my heart.”
A third person said: “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 from 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 emphasized D’Arcy’s correct pronouns.
He said: “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 addressed the error on social media and apologized for misgendering D’Arcy.
The former Great British Bake Off host said: “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.”
Responding to this, one person wrote: “As someone who is misgendered on a regular basis, we get it. Mistakes are made.”
To which Perkins reiterated: “I’m sorry x.”
D’Arcy identifies as non-binary and goes by they/them, which are gender-neutral pronouns.
In an interview with E! News, the actor opened up about the pressure of presenting as a woman earlier in their career.
“It wasn’t sustainable, and I stopped pretending,” D’Arcy said. “And weirdly at that point, I got nominated for Best Actress for the Golden Globes, which is like beautifully ironic.”
Beyond what this meant for their career success, the actor shared that this nomination means that ‘the space for trans people and gender non-conforming people is getting bigger all the time.’
