There are not many actors who have successfully transitioned from theater to television the way Kit Harington did. From what seemed like obscurity to many TV audiences, Harington warmed himself into the hearts of millions of fans by portraying a beloved character. The actor has had a successful career on stage, television, and film.
Harington was born Christopher Catesby Harington in London, England, on December 27, 1986. Years after the end of the series finale, Harington is still known and remembered for playing Jon Snow in HBO’s Game of Thrones. For new and old admirers of his performances, here are 9 things you didn’t know about Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington.
1. The TV Shows You Know Kit Harington From
On the big screen, Kit Harington played the main protagonist in Paul W. S. Anderson’s epic historical disaster movie Pompeii (2014). Harington played a gladiator, Milo, who is taken to Rome as a slave. He finds love and gets his revenge on Corvus, who killed his parents.
2011 was a transforming year for Harington’s acting career after being cast to play Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. TV audiences watched his character grow from a timid Ned Stark’s bastard, the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, to the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Harington’s character was one of the series’ most popular and loved.
2. How Kit Harington Got Started In Acting
Kit Harington got attracted to acting in his early teens. While still in High School, a 14-year-old Harington saw the play Waiting for Godot and became interested in the arts. This led him to join and perform in several school plays. Harington attended Worcester Sixth Form College from age 16 to 18, where he studied Drama and Theatre.
Watching actor Ben Whishaw perform Hamlet was the final motivation Harington needs to turn his passion into a career. After graduating Sixth Form College in 2005, Harington enrolled in London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. Harington graduated from the school in 2008.
3. Kit Harington Theatre Career
Before graduating from Central School of Speech and Drama, Kit Harington landed a role as Albert Narracott in the play War Horse. He played the role from 2008 and after continued after his graduation until 2009. The play was held at the Royal National Theatre and New London Theatre.
In was cast in playwright Laura Wade’s play, Posh (2010), as Ed Montgomery. The play was performed at the Royal Court Theatre. Even after he landed the role of Jon Snow in one of TV’s biggest shows, Harington continued making appearances in several theatre plays. These include The Children’s Monologue (2015), The Vote (2015), Doctor Faustus (2016), and True West (2018–2019).
4. Kit Harington Is One Of The Highest Paid Actors On Television
Kit Harington’s time on Game of Thrones did not only bring him fame, but made him one of the highest paid actors on television. When the show began in 2011, Harington was a relatively unknown actor on television. This meant his salary was far below what he banked at the later seasons of the series. Harington reportedly earned over $1 million per episode in the last season of Game of Thrones. With the viewership the show enjoyed, Harington certainly deserved it.
5. Kit Harington Is Married To A Career Co-Star
Kit Harington is married to actress Rose Leslie. The two met on set of Game of Thrones in 2011. They officially announced their engagement on September 27, 2017, in The Times newspaper. The couple got married on June 23, 2018. The couple have a son and are expectant of their second child in 2023.
6. Kit Harington’s Film Debut
Kit Harington made his film debut a year after the Game of Thrones TV series premiered. It was in M. J. Bassett’s supernatural horror film Silent Hill: Revelation. The movie was based on the video game series and became the second installment of the Silent Hill film series. The movie was panned by critics but was a box office success, grossing $55.9 million on a $20 million budget.
7. Other TV Shows Kit Harington Was In
Besides playing Jon Snow, Kit Harington moved on and appeared in several other TV shows. Harington played Alex in an episode of the British police procedural anthology series Criminal: UK (2020). He played himself in the TV special Friends: The Reunion (2021) and Michael on an episode of Modern Love (2021). In 2017, he created, executive produced, and starred as Robert Catesby in the BBC One’s miniseries, Gunpowder. Harington currently plays Nicholas Bilton in Apple TV+ anthology series Extrapolations.
8. Other Movies Kit Harington Was In
Kit Harington has also appeared in several other movies since playing gladiator Milo. Harington was the voice of Eret in the computer-animated action fantasy How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and its sequel How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). Harington also played John F. Donovan in the 2018 Canadian drama The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. Harington was Dane Whitman in 2021 MCU Eternals.
9. What Kit Harington Is Doing Next
Kit Harington has upcoming works in film and television. Harington will play Ricky in Rod Blackhurst’s American action crime thriller Blood for Dust. However, no official release date has been announced. In television, Kit Harington will join the season 3 cast of Industry as Henry Muck in 2023.Ned Stark
