Kit Harington has revealed that he sought therapy at the height of his Game Of Thrones fame when Jon Snow was “killed off” in the season five finale.
The actor revealed that he struggled when he “became the cliffhanger of the show” after the series' concluding instalment appeared to show the demise of his character.
Reflecting on the crucial moment in the HBO show’s history, Harington admitted that he was thrown into the limelight having people asking him if he was “really dead” after being spotted filming, and said that the level of focus on his character “heightened” things for him.
“It wasn’t a very good time in my life,” Harington told Variety. “I felt I had to feel that I was the most fortunate person in the world, when actually, I felt very vulnerable.
“I had a shaky time in my life around there — like I think a lot of people do in their 20s. That was a time when I started therapy, and started talking to people.”
Harington, now 32, confessed that he felt “very unsafe and didn’t talk to anybody” as the theories about the fantasy show swirled around him and he even became “concerned” about his ability to act.
The actor said he was “very emotional” when he finally left Snow behind for good after filming his final scenes for the latest series, which will begin to air next month.
He said: “I took off the costume, and it felt like my skin was being peeled away. It felt like someone was shedding me of something.”
Harington’s character features heavily in the two-minute trailer for the final season, with his character talking about the “enemy not tiring” as they prepare for battle.
Game Of Thrones will return for a final series on April 15, simulcasting with the US at 2am. Episodes will be repeated at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.
