Kit Harington admits he nearly quit acting after 'Game of Thrones'

Kit Harington revealed in a recent interview that he had to re-asses his life plans and nearly decided to quit acting at the end of "Game of Thrones."

The actor remembered feeling the excitement shooting the first three seasons, especially since it was where he met his now-wife Rose Leslie. But he was an emotional wreck when Season 8 rolled around because of the fatigue.

"I cried a lot in the last season, just out of sheer fatigue," Harington admitted in an interview with The Telegraph.

"But I was feeling pretty emotional that day. I think it was more to do with Emilia [Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen], more about the people around me and the story coming to an end," he added.

The end of "Game of Thrones" gave the 33-year-old "Criminal" star enough time to reflect on his life. To plan out what he wants to do next. The pandemic further allowed him to process the "intensity" of his acting career in the past few years. Amid filming the HBO show, he also worked on several other projects including "Testament of Youth," "Pompeii," and "Spooks." Then there are the theatre roles. It was very fast-paced for someone who portrayed eight seasons of the same character in his 20s.

"It has been interesting - going through lockdown, getting over this TV show, where by the end of it I didn't know if I wanted to be an actor any more, coming out the other side, living with another actor," Harington shared.

The lockdown eventually gave him a sense of perspective. He realised that he actually misses his craft and that he misses being an actor. He called it a "nice revelation."

However, Harington admitted that he is not signing up for any heroic role again. He specifically alluded to his Jon Snow character in "Game of Thrones."

"Having portrayed a man who was silent, who was heroic, I feel going forward that is a role I don't want to play anymore. It is not a masculine role that the world needs to see much more of," he shared.

Harington shared his thoughts about why his "Game of Thrones" character, or men in general, have an emotional blockage. He said it is passed down from generations. Men do not talk about how they feel because of the misconception that "it shows weakness, it is not masculine."