Childhood & Early Life
Kit Harington was born Christopher Catesby Harington, on December 26, 1986, in London, UK. His mother, Deborah Jane, was a playwright. His father, Sir David Harington, 15th Baronet, was an affluent businessman.
Kit is a descendant of the British royal family. King Charles II was one of his great-grandfathers. Some of Kit’s ancestors were also involved in the famous ‘Gunpowder Plot.’ According to him, some of his ancestors from his mother’s side had planned the assassination of James I, the king of Ireland, England, and Scotland. Interestingly, Kit is related to James I, from his father’s side.
Kit attended the ‘Southfield Primary School.’ After spending the first 11 years of his life in London, he moved to Worcester with his family. Interestingly, until the age of 11, Kit was unaware that his real name was Christopher.
Growing up, he had a keen interest in journalism. Despite his love for theater, he never considered it as a serious career option. However, he often watched plays along with his mother.
While studying at the ‘Chantry High School,’ he watched the play ‘Waiting for Godot,’ which sparked his interest in acting. He was 14 years old then and decided to pursue acting upon growing up.
He starred in many plays during his high-school years. Following his graduation, he decided to polish his skills by enrolling into acting classes. He subsequently joined the prestigious ‘Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’ and graduated in 2008.
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Career
Kit was one of those lucky young actors whose struggle period did not last too long. He started acting in professional theatrical productions as soon as he graduated from acting school. One of his earliest plays was ‘Posh,’ organized by the ‘Royal Court Theatre.’ Prior to that, while still in acting school, he had played a main role in the play ‘War Horse.’ His performance in the play earned him two ‘Olivier Awards.’
Still a fresher when it came to screen acting, he auditioned for a role in the ‘HBO’ drama ‘Game of Thrones.’ Hundreds of other actors from all over the country auditioned for the role, but Kit earned it eventually. His debut role itself was a career-defining journey.
The series premiered on ‘HBO’ in 2011 and featured Kit as ‘Jon Snow,’ the illegitimate son of the show’s main character, ‘Ned Stark.’ Kit’s character went through several changes over the course of the series. While ‘Jon’ was portrayed as a naive but brave young boy initially, he eventually turned into a solid battle commander.
By the time the third season premiered, ‘Jon’ had become a fan favorite. Kit’s consistent good performance in the series made him an international star. Kit has also won several awards over the years for his portrayal of ‘Jon Snow.’
While enjoying his massive international success, Kit was showered with many acting offers. In 2012, he made his big-screen debut with a supernatural horror film titled ‘Silent Hill: Revelation 3D.’ He played ‘Vincent,’ a lead role in the film. The film, however, was a commercial and critical disaster.
Following the debacle of his debut film, Kit took a year-long break and concentrated on his portrayal of ‘Jon Snow’ in ‘Game of Thrones.’ 2014 was a major year for Kit, as he appeared in four films that year.
His first film of 2014 was a historical disaster titled ‘Pompeii.’ He played a leading role in the film. While the film received a few good reviews, many critics panned the film due to its historical inaccuracies and shoddy visual effects.
Kit then voiced the character of ‘Eret’ in the animated film ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2.’ The movie was a critical and commercial success.
Kit then portrayed the lead role of ‘Roland Leighton’ in the war drama ‘Testament of Youth.’ The film was heavily appreciated by critics but turned out to be a box-office disaster. Kit’s last film of 2014 was ‘Seventh Son,’ a fantasy epic that was poorly received by critics, in spite of being a commercial success.
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In 2015, Kit appeared as one of the two leads in the ‘HBO’ sports drama ‘7 Days in Hell.’
The same year, Kit appeared in the British spy drama ‘Spooks: The Greater Good.’ The film was received well by critics. Kit’s performance also received immense appreciation, and the film also turned out to be a box-office hit.
The 2016 Western thriller ‘Brimstone’ featured Kit in the supporting role of ‘Samuel.’ The film was a big commercial and critical success.
In 2017, Kit worked as an executive producer for the miniseries ‘Gunpowder,’ based on the famous ‘Gunpowder Plot’ that had taken place in London in 1605. The movie featured him as ‘Robert Catesby.’
In 2018, Kit appeared in the film ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,’ which was severely panned by critics.
Over the years, Kit has also been actively involved with theater and has appeared in plays such as ‘The Vote,’ ‘Posh,’ and ‘True West.’
Kit is the face of the fashion brand ‘Jimmy Choo’ and the ‘Dolce & Gabbana’ fragrance ‘The One.’
