Matt Smith, known for his roles in House of the Dragon and The Crown, has once again voiced his concerns about trigger warnings.
In an interview with The Times of London, the actor, who became famous through Doctor Who, argued that warning viewers about upsetting content is making stories less impactful for audiences.
“It’s a shame when stories are held back or changed because of the current climate,” Smith said. “I’m not sure I agree with trigger warnings.”
“It’s fine to feel uneasy or challenged when looking at a painting or watching a play,” Smith said. “But I’m concerned that everything is being watered down. We’re warning audiences they’ll be scared before they even see anything.”
Smith, who stars in the British horror film Starve Acre, shared that he rented movies like Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure, and Friday the 13th when he was “too young.” He joked that Friday the 13th “completely messed me up.”

Smith had also shared his thoughts on trigger warnings when talking about Doctor Who, the BBC and Disney+ sci-fi show where he starred for four years.
“I always believed one of the best parts of doing Doctor Who was giving kids a good scare,” he told the BBC in February. “It was controlled, but it still scared them. If you tell kids, ‘Hey, this might scare you,’ before they watch, it ruins the fun. I’m not a fan of that.”
This year, several British actors have expressed their opinions on trigger warnings. Judi Dench mentioned she was surprised to find out that theater audiences are now regularly warned about content that might be upsetting, such as abuse, violence, and loud noises.
Ralph Fiennes commented in an interview with the BBC that theatergoers have “gone soft.” He believes the power of theater comes from surprising and shocking the audience. “The excitement of theater comes from the unexpected,” Fiennes said. “You shouldn’t be warned about it beforehand.”
Source: Deadline