The Most Unexpected ‘Game of Thrones’ Actor Turned Kit Harington into “a little schoolboy” After Admiring His Work For Years

Running for eight seasons, Game of Thrones holds its reputation as one of those shows that redefined television. Expanding on a lore from George R.R. Martin’s books, much of the show’s success came from its star-studded cast. A slew of impressive performances and on-spot delivery allowed the series to build itself on the backs of character development, spread across seasons. Among several of those high-stakes on-screen faces, one was Kit Harington.

The British star who was hardly 24 when cast into the show marked his career breakthrough with it. Additionally, he was one of those central characters who made their way to the very end, despite the storyline’s notorious reputation for killing off the main characters. On the professional front, the actor shared the screens with some of the biggest names in the industry, but there was one who made him feel truly star-struck.

Game of Thrones gave Kit Harington his fanboy moment by casting this actor

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, Sean Bean as Ned Stark, and Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark are just a few of the biggest stars that Kit Harington has shared most of his Game of Thrones scenes with. However, he had his true fanboy moment when he played Jon Snow alongside Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, as disclosed to Winter Is Coming, while heaping praises on the showrunners for their casting efforts.

I remember [Thrones showrunners] David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] emailed me saying that they had got Ciaran, I was sort of like a little schoolboy. It was brilliant. I had seen him in a play in the National Theather just two days before and was blown away by him. Obviously knew of his work, his huge back catalogue of work.

Calling him “perfect”, Harington thus, had the comfort of being in the company of one of the most highly decorated actors with the bonus of their debut joint appearance in the first episode of season three, marking a major turning point of the series. Soon after their first scene, the Wildlings take a prominent space in the story, setting up the stage for the Battle of Castle Black.

An actor of great merits, Ciarán Hinds holds incredible acclaim with Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globes nominations to his name. Debuting in 1981’s Excalibur, the actor had recently found high-rated acclaim for his stint in 2021’s Belfast. Thereafter, his work as Aberforth Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series and as Julius Ceasar in 2007’s Rome series stands out as his career highlights.

Kit Harington breaks down his experience of working with Ciarán Hinds

In the same round of talks, Kit Harington openly expressed that his status back then, as a fairly new actor, had him seeking inspiration from all quarters. As such, Ciarán Hinds was the “perfect” role model for him. The 71-year-old actor has, in his studded line-up of productions, brought along a profound screen presence thanks to a distinctive commanding voice, adding gravitas to his appearances.

Moreover, Hinds’ versatile portfolio showcases him taking projects across various genres while bringing that same level of dedicated performance may have had something to do with Harington’s endorsement of him as “brilliant” when asked about his experience of working with him.

He’s very magnetic when it comes to Mance, he’s got an aura about him which is very Mance Rayder. I was very privileged to share a few scenes with him. Honestly, he’s very good. And one of the nicest people I’ve worked with in Thrones, one of the most giving and sharing. Very good actor in that way.

On an added note, the Eternals actor also mentioned Kristofer Hivju as the best possible choice for his role as Tormund in Game of Thrones. Thereafter, Mackenzie Crook, who played a warg in the show also found himself in Harington’s choice of cast, especially when he considered himself as “a British young actor who has not done a hell of a lot before” at the time of the interview.

Game of Thrones is available to stream on HBO max.