In a new interview, Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has said that filming the epic series took a toll on his mental health, leading to the actor having to take a year off from work. Speaking to Jess Cagle on SiriusXM, Harington pointed to the show as the source of “mental health difficulties” he experienced, as picked up by THR.
“I went through some mental health difficulties after Thrones, and during the end of Thrones, to be honest,” he told Cagle. “I think it was directly due to the nature of the show and what I had been doing for years.”
Harington starred as Jon Snow in all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, a commitment that ran from late 2010 to mid 2018. In May 2019, just after the final season finished airing, Harington made headlines when he checked himself into a luxury rehab facility to focus on his mental health.
In the recent interview, Harington explained that he decided to take a break after the massive series ended to “really concentrate on myself.” He added: “I’m really happy I did that.” The actor’s timing was, unfortunately, less than ideal, however, as he explained that “just when I was wanting to come back to work the pandemic hit.”
Harington has finally been able to get back to work, however, with his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due later this year in November’s Eternals. In the meantime you’ll be able to catch him in an episode of Amazon Prime’s second season of Modern Love, a role Harington said he took on for a bit of fun.
“You don’t have to live in that intense place all the time,” Harington explained. “Why don’t you do something that takes the weight off? Why don’t you do something fun?”
The interview also covered some lighter topics, such as one of Harington’s fondest memories from filming the show.
