The High Valyrian discovery that left Matt Smith speechless

House of the Dragon star Matt Smith dissolves into laughter mid-interview after uncovering a surprising High Valyrian tidbit, delivering a reaction that’s pure comedy gold.

Matt Smith just had the most relatable celebrity moment: the guy who plays Daemon Targaryen found out mid-interview that you can learn High Valyrian on Duolingo. Yes, the same language he speaks on House of the Dragon. His reaction was pure, unfiltered surprise, and honestly, same.

How it went down

During a recent Entertainment Tonight chat with the cast, someone asked about learning High Valyrian and whether the actors had ever tried Duolingo. The interviewer then mentioned that High Valyrian is actually on the app. Smith looked stunned — like, genuinely blindsided — and the rest of the table lost it. Phoebe Campbell jumped in to confirm that, yes, it’s real, and yes, you can learn it on your phone.

"Is it?... Really?"

Fans clipped the moment and it made the rounds online, including a post on June 10, 2026, from @thinkmattsmith. The kicker: Smith also learned on the spot that the course lives inside the app with that relentless green owl guiding you through lessons. For a guy who has been speaking High Valyrian on HBO for years, this was brand-new information, which only made it funnier.

Wait, don’t they already live in this language?

They do, and it’s work. In the same ET interview, Emma D'Arcy said both they and Smith have taken multiple High Valyrian oral exams while making the show. Translation: it’s not just memorizing a couple fancy lines between dragon shots — the prep is heavier than it looks.

D'Arcy poked Smith a bit about his academic background, saying he went to Oxford. Smith shot back that Oxford doesn’t exactly offer High Valyrian 101, then joked that maybe it’s time to head back and fix that oversight.

Meanwhile, on the carpet

Off-screen, everyone seems to be getting along just fine. At the UK premiere for House of the Dragon’s third season on June 8, 2026, Smith and Tom Glynn-Carney greeted each other with a hug. The Targaryens may be at war on Sunday nights, but at the actual premiere it was all smiles.

Why this landed

It’s a neat little collision of show and fandom. The actors are juggling battle choreography, dragon business, and big emotional scenes — plus a fully constructed language built for George R. R. Martin’s world — while fans are casually picking up High Valyrian on the commute. Smith’s surprise kind of says it all about how far this thing has traveled outside the show.

• The moment happened in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview.
• Matt Smith learned for the first time that High Valyrian is on Duolingo and said, "Is it?... Really?"
• Phoebe Campbell confirmed it; the table cracked up.
• A clip hit social media on June 10, 2026 (posted by @thinkmattsmith).
• Emma D'Arcy said both they and Smith took multiple High Valyrian oral exams for the show.
• D'Arcy teased Smith about Oxford; Smith joked Oxford doesn’t teach Valyrian but maybe it should.
• Side note: at the UK premiere for Season 3 on June 8, 2026, Smith and Tom Glynn-Carney shared a hug.

Alright, your turn: if Duolingo keeps adding fictional tongues, what are you studying next — High Valyrian, Dothraki, Elvish, or Klingon? Drop it in the comments.