‘Game of Thrones’ Star Kit Harington Reveals the Series Twist That Led Him to Therapy

Jon Snow has had quite the effect on Kit Harington‘s life throughout his time on Game of Thrones. But one point in particular sent the actor into therapy and forced him to question his role on the epic series.

While Harington has always been a fixture on Game of Thrones, the 32-year-old has seen himself become the face of the franchise heading into its final season, something he admits was difficult in a new interview with Variety.

“It wasn’t a very good time in my life,” Harington tells Variety. “I felt I had to feel that I was the most fortunate person in the world, when actually, I felt very vulnerable. I had a shaky time in my life around there — like I think a lot of people do in their 20s.”

Harington singled out the moment where Jon Snow becomes the focus of the series and the fan frenzy that followed his “death” on the show.

“My darkest period was when the show seemed to become so much about Jon, when he died and came back,” he outlined in Variety. “I really didn’t like the focus on the whole show coming onto Jon…When you become the cliffhanger of a TV show, and a TV show probably at the height of its power, the focus on you is f–ing terrifying.”

The pressures he experienced from the show even led him to seek therapy to discuss his insecurities about his role and status going forward.

“That was a time when I started therapy, and started talking to people,” Harington opened up about in the interview. “I had felt very unsafe, and I wasn’t talking to anyone. I had to feel very grateful for what I have, bit I felt incredibly concerned about whether I could even f–ing act.”

During the period between seasons when Jon Snow “died” and his return in the following season’s premiere, coverage of Harington was a feeding frenzy. The show has always been fodder for tabloids and paparazzi, but coverage of Harington’s hair length and other features fueled the cliffhanger for the show. Still, after time, his mindset healed and he embraced his status.

“It’s like when you’re at a party, and the party’s getting better and better. Then you reach this point of the party where you’re like, it’s peaked,” he said in Variety. “I don’t know what I could find more from this. You realize, well, there isn’t more. This is it. And the “more” you can find is actually in the work rather than the enjoyment surrounding it.”

That’s not to say Harington didn’t find some enjoyment surrounding his work. His relationship and eventual wedding to former co-star Rose Leslie likely wouldn’t have happened without Game of Thrones. The couple met on the show in 2012 and were wed in June 2018.

The interview comes ahead of the final season for the HBO epic. Harington tells Variety that fans won’t be disappointed by what the show has in store.

“[HBO] went balls out, I think is the term,” Harington jokes in the interview. “They could have easily set the same budget as they did for season 7, but they went bigger.”

He added that the finale and his last day of shooting carried a lot of emotional weight for him.

“[It was] a huge heave of emotion. I’m just blubbing. The end of Jon’s journey, whatever that may be…I was satisfied with how his story ended.”

Game of Thrones will return on April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.