Christopher Catesby Harington popularly known as Kit Harrison is an English actor. He is known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019).
Profile Summary
Full Name/Nickname | Christopher Catesby Harington/Kit Harrison |
Gender | Male |
Date of Birth | 26 December 1986 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Actor |
Famous movie | Game of Throne |
Early Life of Christopher Catesby Harington
Christopher Catesby Harington was born in the Acton district of London. His mother named him after Christopher Marlowe, whose first name was shortened to Kit, a name Harington prefers. He did not learn what his full name was until age eleven. His parents are Sir David Harington, 15th Baronet, a businessman, and former playwright Deborah Jane. Through his father, Harington descends from Scottish politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Harington is related to men who were involved on opposite sides of the Gunpowder Plot. He claims a family connection with the leader of the plot, Robert Catesby, on his mother’s side, while through his father’s side, he is related to King James I, the target of the assassination attempt, and to Lord Harington, who was in the Houses of Parliament that Catesby and his co-conspirators tried to blow up.
Harington was educated at Southfield Primary School from 1992 to 1998. When he was eleven, the family moved to Worcestershire, and he attended Chantry High School in Martley until 2003. He became interested in acting after seeing a production of Waiting for Godot when he was fourteen, and he performed in several school productions. He attended Worcester Sixth Form College, where he studied Drama and Theatre (2003–05). When he was seventeen, he was inspired to attend a drama school after seeing a performance by Ben Whishaw as Hamlet in 2004. Harington moved back to London in 2005 aged eighteen after completing Sixth Form and, later that year, enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he graduated in 2008.
Career Path of Christopher Catesby Harington
Before acting, Harington originally wanted to become a journalist. While still at drama school, he landed the role of Albert in the National Theatre’s adaptation of War Horse. The play won two Olivier Awards and gained Harington a great deal of recognition. He was later cast in his second play Posh, a dark ensemble comedy about upper-class men attending Oxford University.
After War Horse, Harington auditioned for and landed his first television role as Jon Snow in the series Game of Thrones. The show debuted in 2011 to great critical acclaim and was quickly picked up by the network for a second season. Harington’s role was largely filmed in Iceland and Northern Ireland. The series concluded its run with its eighth season in April 2019. Game of Thrones takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and chronicles the power struggles among noble families as they fight for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Jon Snow is introduced as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, the honourable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent of Westeros.
Harington made his feature film debut in 2012 as Vincent in Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. The horror film was based on the survival horror video game Silent Hill 3 and was a sequel to the film Silent Hill. He was honoured with Actor of the Year at the Young Hollywood Awards 2013, which celebrates the best emerging young talent in film, music and television.
Conclusion
Harington lives in Canonbury, London. In 2017, he purchased a £1.75 million 15th-century country home outside Ipswich, Suffolk. He began a relationship with his Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie in 2011. They announced their engagement through the ‘Forthcoming Marriages’ section of The Times on 27 September 2017.
On 23 June 2018, the couple married at Rayne Parish Church in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In September 2020, Leslie posed for a magazine photo shoot visibly pregnant. They had a son, first spotted in February 2021. In February 2023, Harington announced he and Leslie are expecting their second child. In May 2019, Harington checked into a mental health and wellness facility to seek help for “some personal issues”. Harington is a football fan and a supporter of Manchester United