TV

Recalling his darkest period throughout his 'Game of Thrones' stint, the actor husband of Rose Leslie claims that the intense focus on him caused by Season 5 cliffhanger is 'f**king terrifying.'

• Mar 20, 2019

AceShowbiz - The intense public interest in the onscreen death of Kit Harington's "Game of Thrones" character Jon Snow sent the actor to therapy.

Kit was thrust firmly into the spotlight in 2015, when Snow was brutally killed off in the season five finale of the hit fantasy drama, and although he was later brought back to life, having to deal with the heightened fan and media attention made him extremely uncomfortable.

"My darkest period was when the show seemed to become so much about Jon, when he died and came back," he tells Variety. "I really didn't like the focus of the whole show coming onto Jon...".

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COVER STORY: Kit Harington sheds Jon Snow and moves on to life beyond #GameOfThrones. In Variety’s cover story by @dandaddario, Harington reveals the emotional toll that Thrones took, how HBO went “balls out” for season 8, and what’s up next for his career. Winter is coming at the link in bio. (📷: @richardphibbs)

Sebuah kiriman dibagikan oleh Variety (@variety) pada 19 Mar 2019 jam 6:11 PDT

"When you become the cliffhanger of a TV show, and a TV show probably at the height of its power, the focus on you is f**king terrifying."

The public scrutiny drove Kit to seek out professional counselling as he struggled to deal with his new level of fame, which also made him question his acting abilities.

"It wasn't a very good time in my life," he reflects. "I felt I had to feel that I was the most fortunate person in the world, when actually, I felt very vulnerable."

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Kit Harington’s unpacks how Jon Snow was an identity that could feel constricting. "For a long time toward the end of #GameOfThrones, I felt like I wanted to be a new person but I was stuck in this shape." On the last day of shooting, Harington says, “I took off the costume, and it felt like my skin was being peeled away. I was very emotional. It felt like someone was shedding me of something.” (📷: @richardphibbs)

Sebuah kiriman dibagikan oleh Variety (@variety) pada 19 Mar 2019 jam 8:30 PDT

"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. I had felt very unsafe, and I wasn't talking to anyone. I had to feel very grateful for what I have, but I felt incredibly concerned about whether I could even f**king act."

The therapy sessions helped Kit, now 32, come to terms with the impact the show was having on his personal life, and now, after filming his final scenes for the eighth and final season, he is relieved at being able to finally leave Snow behind.

"I took off the costume, and it felt like my skin was being peeled away," he shares of bidding farewell to his beloved character. "I was very emotional. It felt like someone was shedding me of something."

Season eight premieres on April 14.