Kit Harington is opening up about the special role Harry Potter played in his life after he got sober, while also revealing that he may not be completely finished with Game of Thrones character Jon Snow.
The 39-year-old actor, who has previously spoken publicly about his sobriety journey, explained that listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks became a nightly ritual after he got sober.
Kit is now joining the franchise himself as Gilderoy Lockhart in Season 2 of HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series.
During a new appearance on Josh Horowitz‘s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Kit explained why the franchise has such a personal connection for him.
Kit Harington Explains How Harry Potter Became Part of His Sobriety Journey
“I listen to the Stephen Fry audiobooks. And I do that because my brain is incredibly busy, especially at night, and I’ve always found going to bed very difficult. My brain doesn’t turn off,” Kit said.
“When I got sober, that got especially bad. And so I started listening to Harry Potter audiobooks, and now they’re the thing I listen to every night,” he continued. “So they have a very special place in my heart.”
Kit previously revealed that he entered rehab in 2019 amid struggles with alcohol and his mental health. He has continued to speak publicly about his sobriety in the years since.
He went on to explain that his love for the books made joining HBO’s new adaptation an easy decision.
“When I knew they were doing this show, I was like, ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea, I think they can really delve into it further than the films did.’ I’m fully supportive of it,” he said. “And then I got called to be in it, and that was just a very simple, ‘Yes, please!’”
We previously shared Kit‘s comments about why he wanted to join the new series, which premieres its first season on Christmas Day. Kit will make his debut as Lockhart in Season 2.
Could Kit Harington Return as Jon Snow?
During the same interview, Kit also offered a new update on the previously shelved Jon Snow sequel series.
“We developed it two years or so,” he said. “I still think there’s a world in which something could work. I wouldn’t have gone into it in the first place if I didn’t.”
Kit said that he, HBO and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin agreed that they didn’t want to move forward unless they found the right story.
“If we don’t find the right thing, let’s not do it. It’s much better if we don’t,” he recalled of their approach.
Ultimately, Kit was the one who decided the story they had developed wasn’t right.
However, his feelings about returning to Jon have changed after spending more time away from the role.
“Now I’ve gone and done all these other things and now I feel more comfortable with that character and that world again and where it sits in my life,” he revealed.
The Jon Snow sequel was originally developed for HBO after Game of Thrones ended in 2019, but Kit previously confirmed that the project had been shelved after they were unable to find a story they felt was worth pursuing.
Posted To:Game of Thrones Harry Potter HBO Jon Snow Kit Harington Television