For nearly a decade, Kit Harington was one of the biggest stars on TV, thanks to his lead role on the massive HBO hit series, “Game of Thrones.” And if you watched the show, you know Harington’s character, the heroic but gloomy Jon Snow, is one of the more intense presences in the ensemble cast. And according to the actor, that intensity and the darkness of ‘Thrones’ led him to have to take an extended mental health break from acting.
Speaking to the Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM, Kit Harington talked about how working on “Game of Thrones” brought on some mental health issues and how he needed to take a year off before coming back to acting.
“I went through some mental health difficulties after ‘Thrones,’ and during the end of ‘Thrones,’ to be honest,” Harington explained. “I think it was directly due to the nature of the show and what I had been doing for years.”
He added, “I took a break after ‘Thrones,’ where I said, ‘I don’t want to work for a year. I want to really concentrate on myself.’ And I think I’m really happy I did that.”
But even after a year away, “Game of Thrones” was still a factor in what he chose to do next. Harington said he learned the lesson that he’s able to take sweeter, nicer roles in projects that don’t require him to live in an “intense place.”
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“You don’t have to live in that intense place all the time,” Harington said. “Why don’t you do something that takes the weight off? Why don’t you do something fun?”
While he’s also expected to be one of the stars of Marvel Studios upcoming superhero film, “Eternals,” you’re going to be able to see him first in Amazon Prime Video’s “Modern Love,” where he is clearly in a story that is emotional but not nearly as fraught with danger and anguish as his ‘Thrones’ past. “Modern Love” returns for Season 2 on August 13. “Eternals” hits theaters on November 5.