Kit Harington, star of Game of Thrones, has revealed that he did not know his real name until he was 11 years old. The actor, now 39, was born Christopher Catesby Harington but was called Kit from the beginning, a nickname honouring the English poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe.
Speaking to Interview Magazine, Harington recalled discovering the truth during a school placement test. "I was called Kit from day one, really," he said. "I only found out my name was Christopher when I was 11."
A Bizarre Existential Crisis
When he wrote 'Kit Harington' on the test, staff looked at him "like I was completely stupid and they said, 'No, you're Christopher Harington, I'm afraid'." He described the moment as "kind of a bizarre existential crisis for an 11-year-old to have" but chose to stick with Kit, feeling he is "not really a Chris".
To this day, he says he is only "very occasionally" called Christopher, usually in official circumstances. Harington is best known for playing Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, a role he landed in 2011 that made him a household name worldwide.
Career and Personal Life
By the final two seasons, he was reportedly earning £807,000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His net worth now sits at around £10.26 million. He shares a Grade II listed home in Brettenham, Suffolk, with his wife and co-star Rose Leslie, whom he married in 2018. The couple have two children, a son born in 2021 and a daughter born in 2023.
Harington is now set to play Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter television series, replacing Nicholas Hoult in the role of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Speaking on Fame's Toll
Following the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Harington checked into a mental health centre after what he described as a "breakdown" partly triggered by reading negative viewer comments online. He told co-star Peter Dinklage during a recent conversation for Variety's Actors on Actors series that checking into rehab at the same time as the season eight premiere was a blessing in disguise.
"Actually, that was a big pull to not go to rehab was like, 'Well, wait a minute, there's loads of press that needs to be done, you need to be front and centre,'" he shared. "And it was a good decision to go, 'Do you know what? Actually, I'm checking out. I can't do this.'" He admitted it was "a very weird experience", adding: "I decided to go to rehab as episode one was airing. And I was there for six weeks, isolated, without my phone."
The Harry Potter TV series will air on HBO Max on December 25. If you have been affected by any of the topics covered in this article, call Samaritans any time on 116 123.
