Kit Harington

Kit Harington

Harington in 2014
Born Christopher Catesby Harington
(1986-12-26) 26 December 1986
London, England
Alma mater Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation Actor
Years active 2008–present

Christopher Catesby "Kit" Harington[1][2] (born 26 December 1986)[1][2] is an English actor. He rose to prominence playing the role of Jon Snow in the award-winning HBO television series Game of Thrones.[3] Harington also played lead roles in the films Pompeii, Testament of Youth, and Spooks: The Greater Good, as well as supporting roles in the films Silent Hill: Revelation and Seventh Son. In 2014, Harington voiced the character of Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Early life and ancestry

Harington was born in Acton, London,[4] to Deborah Jane (Catesby), a former playwright, and David Richard Harington, a businessman.[5][6] His mother named him after Christopher Marlowe, whose first name was shortened to Kit,[7] a name Harington prefers.[8] Harington's uncle is Sir Nicholas John Harington,[9] 14th Baronet,[10] and his paternal great-grandfather was Sir Richard Harington, 12th Baronet. Through his paternal grandmother, Lavender Cecilia Denny, Harington's eight times great-grandfather was Charles II of England.[11] Also, through his father, Harington descends from politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville,[12] the bacon merchant T. A. Denny, clergyman Baptist Wriothesley Noel, merchant and politician Peter Baillie, peer William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth and MP Sir William Molesworth, 6th Baronet.[13]

Harington was a pupil at the Southfield Primary School from 1992 to 1998. When he was 11, his family moved to Worcestershire[14][15] and he studied at the Chantry High School in Martley until 2003.[16] He became interested in acting after watching a production of Waiting for Godot when he was 14,[17] and he performed in several school productions.[16] He attended Worcester Sixth Form College, where he studied Drama and Theatre (2003-05). When he was 17, he was inspired to attend a drama school after seeing a performance by Ben Whishaw as Hamlet in 2004.[14][18] He moved back to London when he was eighteen and, a year later, attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 2008.[19][20]

Career

Before acting, Harington originally wanted to become a journalist, a cameraman or a war correspondent.[21] While still at drama school, he landed the role of Albert in the National Theatre's adaptation of War Horse.[2][21][22] The play won two Olivier Awards, and gained Harington a great deal of recognition. He was later cast in his second play Posh, a dark ensemble comedy about upper-class men attending Oxford University.[2]

After War Horse, Harington auditioned for and landed his first television role as Jon Snow in the television series Game of Thrones. The show debuted in 2011 to great critical acclaim and positive reviews and was quickly picked up by the network for a second season.[23] Harington's role is largely filmed in Iceland and Northern Ireland.[24]

Harington at SDCC's 2013 Game of Thrones panel

In 2012, Harington was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television for the role.[25]

Harington made his cinematic debut in 2012 as Vincent in Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. The horror film was based on the survival horror video game Silent Hill 3, and was a sequel to the film Silent Hill.[26] He was honored with Actor of the Year at the Young Hollywood Awards 2013, which celebrates the best emerging young talent in film, music and television.[27]

Harington's first major lead role in a feature film occurred when he played Milo in the Pompeii. Production for the film commenced in 2013 and took place in and around Toronto. Some scenes were also shot in the actual city of Pompeii itself.[28] The film was a modest box office success and received mixed reviews from critics. That year, Harington also voiced Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2,[29] which was a critically acclaimed, box-office success,[30] won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and received an Academy Award nomination.[31][32] In 2014, Harington also appeared alongside Jeff Bridges in the film Seventh Son, a poorly received fantasy–adventure film.[33] Harington played Roland Leighton, the main character's love interest, in Testament of Youth alongside Alicia Vikander and Emily Watson.[34] The film was released in wide distribution in the UK on 16 January 2015. Its world premiere was in The Centrepiece Gala, supported by the Mayor of London, at the British Film Institute London Film Festival in October 2014.[35][36][37]

In December 2014, it was announced that he would feature in Xavier Dolan's upcoming movie The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, alongside Jessica Chastain, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton and Susan Sarandon.[38] He starred in the 2015 HBO comedy 7 Days in Hell, a short film about a 7-day tennis match.[39]

In June 2015, it was confirmed that Harington would star in Martin Koolhoven's upcoming western thriller film Brimstone, replacing Robert Pattinson.[40]

Personal life

In 2016, it was confirmed that Harington is in a relationship with Scottish actress and Game of Thrones love interest Rose Leslie.[41]

Ancestry

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Silent Hill: Revelation Vincent Smith
2014 Pompeii Milo "The Celt"
How to Train Your Dragon 2 Eret, Son of Eret Voice-over
Testament of Youth Roland Leighton
Seventh Son Billy Bradley
2015 Spooks: The Greater Good Will Holloway
2016 Brimstone Samuel Filming
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Pre-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2011–present Game of Thrones Jon Snow Main role
2015 7 Days in Hell Charles Poole Television Film

Video games

Year Title Role
2015 Game of Thrones Jon Snow (voice)

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2008–2009 War Horse Albert Narracott Olivier Theatre and New London Theatre[42][43]
2010 Posh Ed Montgomery Royal Court Theatre[2][44]
2015 The Vote Colin Henderson Donmar Warehouse[44]
2016 Doctor Faustus Faustus Duke of York's Theatre[45]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 Scream Award Best Ensemble (shared with the cast) Game of Thrones Nominated [46]
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with the cast) Nominated [47]
IGN Award Best TV Hero Nominated
Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor on Television Nominated [48]
2012 Golden Nymph Award Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
2013 Young Hollywood Awards Actor of the Year Won [49]
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with the cast) Game of Thrones Nominated [50]
2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with the cast) Nominated [51]
2015 Empire Award Empire Hero Award (shared with the cast) Won [52]
Online Film & Television Association Award Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor on Television Pending
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with the cast) Nominated [53]

References

  1. 1 2 "Kit Harrington". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kit Harington". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  3. ↑ Low, Lenny Ann (22 March 2014). "Game of Throne's Kit Harington: Man for all seasons". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Sophie Heawood (1 May 2014). "Meet Kit Harington: Game of Thrones hunk and Hollywood's hottest new player". Evening Standard.
  5. ↑ Ed Cumming (3 May 2015). "Kit Harington: ‘The acting never feels like work’". The Observer.
  6. ↑ Cindy Pearlman (20 March 2014). "Jon Snow knows the right moves — sometimes". Chicago Sun-Times.
  7. ↑ Lenny Ann Low (22 March 2014). "Game of Throne's Kit Harington: Man for all seasons". Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. ↑ Emma Brown. "The HBO Heartthrob: Kit Harington". Interview.
  9. ↑ "Person Page 43217: Christopher Harington". thepeerage.com. 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Nicholas John Harington". Geneall.net. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Lavender Cecilia Denny". Geneall.net. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  12. ↑ Siobhan Synnot (11 January 2015). "Kit Harington discusses release of his new film". The Scotsman.
  13. ↑ "Kit Harington". EthniCelebs. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  14. 1 2 Alex Bilmes (6 May 2015). "Mr Kit Harington". Mr Porter.
  15. ↑ "Nerdist Podcast Episode 482: Kit Harington". Nerdist. 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  16. 1 2 James Connell (7 April 2014). "Game of Thrones star says Worcester will always be home". Worcester News.
  17. ↑ Nojan Aminosharei (1 April 2013). "Q&A: Kit Harington". Details.
  18. ↑ Ruben V. Nepales (7 February 2014). "‘Thrones’ star bulked up, then slimmed down for film role". Inquirer.net.
  19. ↑ "Kit Harington". Royal National Theatre. August 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  20. ↑ Tara Abell (30 March 2012). "Game of Thrones Star Kit Harington Loves Iceland, Fears Flying". The Daily Traveller.
  21. 1 2 "Kit Harington Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  22. ↑ "Kit Harington - Biography". IMDb. 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "HBO Re-commissions 'Game of Thrones'". IFTN. 19 April 2011.
  24. ↑ "Exclusive interview with Kit Harington". myfanbase.de. 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  25. ↑ Saturn award nominations2012
  26. ↑ McNary, Dave (7 March 2011). "Clemens, Harington join 'Silent Hill'". Variety. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  27. ↑ "'Game of Thrones' Kit Harington (Jon Snow): My big break". OnTheRedCarpet.com. 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  28. ↑ DeMara, Bruce (19 February 2013). "Paul W.S. Anderson to shoot Pompeii in Toronto". The Star. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  29. ↑ Harmanian, Harout (2012-06-20). "'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Gets Kit Harington". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  30. ↑ "Box Office: 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Crosses $500M Following China Debut". Forbes. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  31. ↑ "Golden Globes: 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Wins Best Animated Feature Film". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  32. ↑ "'Birdman,' 'Budapest' lead Oscar nominations". USA Today. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  33. ↑ "Seventh Son – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  34. ↑ Kit, Borys (4 February 2014). "'Game of Thrones' Star Kit Harington to Headline 'Testament of Youth'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  35. ↑ BAZ BAMIGBOYE. "BAZ BAMIGBOYE: A hundred years on, Brittain's got talent". Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  36. ↑ Edward Davis. "Indiewire: Watch: First Trailer For 'Testament Of Youth'". Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  37. ↑ Clare Stewart. "British Film Institute: Testament of Youth". Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  38. ↑ "‘Game Of Thrones’ Star Joins Jessica Chastain In Xavier Dolan Celebrity Satire". Deadline.com. 2014-12-04.
  39. ↑ "7 Days in Hell: HBO's tennis mockumentary is a grand slam". The Guardian. 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
  40. ↑ "BrimstoneMovie". Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  41. ↑ Robinson, Joanna. "Game of Thrones Stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie Finally Take Their Relationship Public". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  42. ↑ Staff writer (2 July 2009). "Theatre Interview with Kit Harington — The 22-Year-Old Stars in War Horse at the New London Theatre". The London Paper. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  43. ↑ "Kit Harington". London Theatre Database. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  44. 1 2 "Game of Thrones's Kit Harington looking for another stage role?". What's On Stage. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  45. ↑ "Doctor Faustus". Best of Theatre. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  46. ↑ Murray, Rebecca. "2011 SCREAM Awards Nominees and Winners". About.com. IAC. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  47. ↑ "The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Award. Screen Actors Guild. January 29, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Nominations for the 38th Annual Saturn Awards". Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  49. ↑ Carbone, Gina (2013-08-01). "2013 Young Hollywood Awards: Check Out Early Winners". Wetpaint. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  50. ↑ "SAG Awards Nominations: ‘12 Years A Slave’ And ‘Breaking Bad’ Lead Way". Deadline.com (PMC). December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  51. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 10, 2014). "SAG Awards Nominations: 'Birdman' & 'Boyhood' Lead Film Side, HBO & 'Modern Family' Rule TV – Full List". Deadline.com (PMC). Archived from the original on January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Empire Hero Award". Empireonline.com. Bauer Consumer Media. 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Home - Screen Actors Guild Awards".

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