Kit Harington is getting “soppy” about the end of Game of Thrones
But the Gunpowder star says it’ll be “liberating” to be free from the world of Westeros
With just one season remaining of smash-hit HBO fantasy drama Game of Thrones left to air, fans are already getting a little bit sad about the long farewell ahead of them.
And it turns out they’re not alone, with series star Kit Harington (aka Jon Snow, aka rightful King Aegon Targaryen and epic ruiner of family reunions) revealing that he’s getting a bit choked up about waving goodbye to Westeros for good.
“Thrones is coming to a very quick end, which I'm feeling sort of quite emotional about,” Harington told RadioTimes.com and other press on the set of his new drama Gunpowder.
“I was exchanging emails with [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] last night, and we're all getting very emotional and soppy with each other.”
Still, Harington admitted that he had slightly mixed feelings about the end of Thrones in general, which would allow him to take on more roles outside of the series’ famously punishing schedule.
“It will be liberating,” he allowed. “Thrones is coming to an end at the right time for me, and everyone involved.
“Just the thought of having a whole year free. I mean [filming]’s just 6 months, but half of those projects you might want to do have started before those 6 months are over. There's a lot of things you can't do.
“I'm looking forward to finishing. And 8 years is exactly the right time. I wouldn't want to go on any longer than it has.”
And Harington has very big plans for the future. BBC1 series Gunpowder (above, in which he stars as his own ancestor Robert Catesby) marks the first series that he’s worked on as a producer after first originating the idea with an old friend, and he’s hopeful that with his newfound freedom he can continue to work on both sides of the camera going forward.
“I have other ideas that I'd like to look at producing,” he said. “I have all sorts of completely unrealistic ambitions. Acting and beyond the world of acting. REALLY unrealistic ambitions.
“I never really wanna say what I'm planning on doing. I just hope I get to keep on doing it. This has been a wonderful thing to do towards the end of Thrones, and dip my toe into.”
And who knows? Maybe after a few years of producing and acting in other roles, his Game of Thrones mega-fame will have faded to the extent that he can finally walk down the street in peace – even if Harington himself admits that too would be something of a mixed blessing.
Harington on the set of Gunpowder
“I spoke to [Game of Thrones co-star] Liam Cunningham about this,” he said. “And he said ‘You'll really enjoy it for the first two or three years, after it dies off.’
“And then you'll start going....” he went on, while impatiently drumming his fingers on the table.
“And I know that'll happen to me! I know I'm a narcissist. Still, I am looking forward for the Thrones thing to just ease away.
“And,” he joked, “the next few seasons of Gunpowder will just be fantastic.”
Sounds like parting might not be SUCH sweet sorrow after all.
Gunpowder begins on BBC1 on Saturday 21st October at 9.00pm
