Christopher Catesby Harington Bio
Christopher Catesby Harington, known professionally as Kit Harington, is an English actor born on 26 December 1986 in Acton, West London. He rose to international prominence portraying Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2019. The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. A graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Harington has built a versatile career spanning film, television, and stage. He has appeared in major productions including the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals and currently stars in the HBO series Industry.
Early Life and Background
Kit Harington was born in Acton, West London, to Sir David Harington, 15th Baronet, a businessman and baronet, and former playwright Deborah Jane Catesby. His mother named him after Christopher Marlowe, whose first name was shortened to Kit, a name Harington prefers. He has one older brother. His family includes notable ancestors such as John Harington and Robert Catesby. Harington attended Southfield Primary School before the family relocated to Worcestershire when he was eleven, where he attended Chantry High School in Martley.
Harington developed an interest in acting at fourteen after seeing a production of Waiting for Godot and subsequently participated in several school productions. He studied Drama and Theatre at Worcester Sixth Form College from 2003 to 2005. A pivotal moment came when he was seventeen after seeing Ben Whishaw perform as Hamlet in 2004, which inspired him to pursue acting professionally. He moved back to London at eighteen and enrolled at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where he trained until graduating in 2008. Before choosing acting, Harington originally aspired to become a journalist.
Path to Acting
While still at drama school, Harington landed the role of Albert in the National Theatre’s adaptation of War Horse. The play won two Olivier Awards and brought Harington significant recognition. He followed this with his second stage role in Posh, a dark ensemble comedy about upper-class men attending Oxford University. These early theatrical performances established his foundation in professional acting and prepared him for the transition to screen work.
Christopher Catesby Harington Career
Early Career (2008–2010)
Harington made his professional acting debut in 2009 with the lead role of Albert Narracott in the West End production of War Horse. The play, based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel, was a critical success that transferred to Broadway and earned two Olivier Awards. This role provided Harington with valuable exposure and established him as a promising new talent in British theatre.
Breakthrough (2011–2019)
After War Horse, Harington auditioned for and secured his first television role as Jon Snow in the HBO series Game of Thrones. The show debuted in 2011 to great critical acclaim and was quickly renewed for additional seasons. Game of Thrones takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and chronicles the power struggles among noble families fighting for control of the Iron Throne. Jon Snow is introduced as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, the lord of Winterfell. Harington’s role was largely filmed in Iceland and Northern Ireland.
Harington received widespread critical praise for his portrayal of Jon Snow. He earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012. In 2016, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, followed by another nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2019. By 2017, Harington had become one of the highest-paid actors on television, reportedly earning £2 million per episode of Game of Thrones. The series concluded with its eighth season in April 2019.
Notable Works and Milestones
During the Game of Thrones era, Harington expanded into film work. He made his feature film debut in 2012 as Vincent in Silent Hill: Revelation. In 2014, he starred as the lead in Paul W. S. Anderson’s Pompeii, undergoing intensive body transformation for the role. That same year, he voiced Eret in DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, which received critical acclaim and earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. He reprised the voice role in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World in 2019. He also appeared in Seventh Son alongside Jeff Bridges in 2014 and starred in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan in 2018. In 2015, he appeared in the HBO comedy short film 7 Days in Hell. He developed, produced, and starred as Robert Catesby in the 2017 BBC drama series Gunpowder, portraying his own ancestor in the story of the Gunpowder Plot.
On stage, Harington appeared in productions including The Children’s Monologues (2015), The Vote (2015), Doctor Faustus (2016), and True West (2018–2019). He hosted Saturday Night Live in 2018 with musical guest Sara Bareilles, during which his Game of Thrones co-stars Rose Leslie and Emilia Clarke appeared in the opening monologue.
Career Expansion (2020–present)
In 2020, Harington sought mental health treatment for personal issues and later publicly discussed his struggles with anxiety and alcoholism, revealing an ADHD diagnosis during rehab. Professionally, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Eternals (2021), portraying Dane Whitman. The film grossed over $402 million worldwide. He also appeared in the Amazon Prime Video anthology Modern Love in 2021.
In 2022, Harington played the titular role in Donmar Warehouse’s production of Henry V. He also appeared in the films Mary’s Monster and Blood for Dust. A proposed Jon Snow spin-off series was in early development but was later abandoned, with Harington stating the team could not find the right story to tell. He starred in the Apple TV+ series Extrapolations in 2023. In 2024, he joined the cast of the West End transfer of the Jeremy O. Harris play Slave Play at the Noël Coward Theatre. That same year, he took on a main role as Henry Muck, an aristocrat and CEO of a green energy company, in the third season of the HBO/BBC One series Industry. He received critical acclaim for Industry, with The Guardian describing his performance as career-best work. He reprised the role for the fourth season in 2026.
Harington has upcoming projects including the BBC One miniseries A Tale of Two Cities, adapted from Charles Dickens’ novel, in which he will play Sydney Carton and serve as executive producer. He also announced involvement in the Hulu limited series Count My Lies alongside Lindsay Lohan and Shailene Woodley.
Christopher Catesby Harington Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Harington has received multiple award nominations for his performances. He earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012 for Game of Thrones. He received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2019 for the same role. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his work on Game of Thrones. In addition, he earned Actor of the Year at the Young Hollywood Awards in 2013.
Christopher Catesby Harington Awards Won
While Harington has received significant recognition through nominations, no major award wins are verified from the available sources.
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Christopher Catesby Harington Family
Harington comes from a distinguished family with notable ancestors including John Harington and Robert Catesby. His father, Sir David Harington, 15th Baronet, is a businessman and baronet. His mother, Deborah Jane Catesby, is a former playwright. He has one older brother.
Personal Life
Harington began a relationship with his Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie, who played Ygritte, in 2011. They announced their engagement in September 2017 and married on 23 June 2018 at Rayne Parish Church in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The couple has two children: a son born in February 2021 and a daughter born in July 2023. They purchased a £1.75 million 15th-century country home outside Ipswich, Suffolk in 2017. Harington is a football fan and supports Manchester United. He serves on the cultural advisory board of Colossal Biosciences.