Kit Harington On How ‘Game Of Thrones’ Affected His Mental Health

Kit Harington has opened up about the mental health struggles he experienced because of his role in the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

In an interview with SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show” Monday, the 34-year-old actor spoke candidly about the positive and negative things he went through while doing the hit show, which officially wrapped up two years ago.

Harington did not shy away from admitting that he actually suffered mentally while portraying his role as Jon Snow and even more when the series ended.

“I went through…some mental health difficulties after ‘Thrones’ and during the end of ‘Thrones,’ to be honest, and I think it was directly to do with the nature of the show, and what I’ve been doing for years,” he said.

Back in May 2019, when the show ended, it was widely reported that Harington had checked into a mental health and wellness facility as he was seeking professional help for “some personal issues,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the interview, the actor shared that after “Game of Thrones” wrapped up its eighth and final season, he decided to take a break from his acting career as he wanted to “really concentrate on myself.” He noted that he’s “really happy I did that.”

Harington also revealed that his perspective on the well-received show eventually changed once it was finished. He said he’s reached a point where he is now “becoming proud of that show” instead of feeling like “running away from it.”

The actor did not really resent doing the Emmy-winning drama, but instead, he struggled to own and be proud of it. If there’s one thing he’s thankful for as a result of the series, it would be meeting actress Rose Leslie, who played Ygritte on the show.

Harington and Leslie tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed their first child in February of this year, as per Deadline. In his latest interview, the actor admitted that his son, whose name has not been disclosed to the public, is “a direct result of ‘Game of Thrones.’”