Kit Harington Opens Up About Entering Rehab During Game of Thrones' Final Season

Kit Harington is reflecting on a transformative moment in his life that coincided with the end of an era. During a sit-down with former Game of Thrones co-star Peter Dinklage for Variety's Actors on Actors series, the 38-year-old actor discussed checking into rehab while HBO's eighth and final season of the fantasy epic was rolling out in 2019.

"The first thing I did while the show was airing was go to rehab," Kit shared. "That was my first port of call. It was a very weird experience, Peter. Like, I decided to go to rehab as episode one was airing. And I was there for six weeks, isolated, without my phone."

The actor was candid about the reasons behind seeking treatment, citing the need to fundamentally reset his life trajectory.

"I needed to go get sober," he explained. "I needed to get my head on straight."

One of the most challenging aspects of his decision was the professional timing. Game of Thrones' conclusion represented a massive cultural moment, and significant promotional obligations loomed. Yet Kit chose to step away from those commitments, resisting considerable pressure to maintain visibility during the show's final chapter.

"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 center,'" he recalled. "And it was a good decision to go, 'Do you know what? Actually, I'm checking out. I can't do this.'"

Following his six-week stay, the Eternals actor took roughly a year away from the industry before gradually easing back into his career. He credited that extended break with providing essential space to reflect on his life and work after spending nearly a decade embodying Jon Snow on one of television's most dominant shows.