17 Things You May Not Know About Kit Harington

You're obsessed with Jon Snow — but how much do you know about Kit Harington? The sexy Game of Thrones star has become a bona fide heartthrob over the past few years, and thanks to that whole back-from-the-dead thing, all eyes are on his character this season. Keep reading to get to know more about the talented actor, then see some of Kit Harington's hottest smirks plus pictures of the Game of Thrones cast hanging out in real life.

01
He didn't know his real name until he was 11.
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He didn't know his real name until he was 11.

Kit chatted about his name with Interview in 2013, saying, "I was called Kit from day one, really. I only found out my name was Christopher when I was 11."

02
He's 5'8".
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He's 5'8".

While talking to GQ about his training for the movie Pompeii, Kit mentioned his size. "That was f*cking a lot of work," he said. "I'm five feet eight, and for that guy to be able to do what he does in the film, he's got to look superhuman."

03
He grew up in west London.
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He grew up in west London.

Kit lived in west London until he was 11, when his family moved to rural Worcestershire.

04
He has an older brother.
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He has an older brother.

Kit's older brother, Jack, works in fashion.

05
He's not the only artist in his family.
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He's not the only artist in his family.

Kit's mom is an artist who teaches creative writing, and she was once a playwright. Of his parents' support, he told Interview, "When I started sharing a keen interest in drama and the theater, instead of steering me away from it, they encouraged me to see plays, and think about drama school."

06
He'd never had long hair before Game of Thrones.
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He'd never had long hair before Game of Thrones.

Get this: he'd never even tried to grow a beard before!

08
He's dating Ygritte (aka Rose Leslie) IRL.
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He's dating Ygritte (aka Rose Leslie) IRL.

Kit and his onscreen love interest from Game of Thrones, actress Rose Leslie, confirmed real-life relationship rumors when they appeared together at the Olivier Awards in April. Meanwhile, he talked about their connection in an interview with The Guardian in March, saying, "Me and Rose [Leslie] met in season two. Ygritte's death on set was very emotional: I was losing my very best friend and girlfriend on the show and I was coming back next year. The character was in loss and so was I."

09
His favorite book is 1984.
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His favorite book is 1984.

10
He's into the broody characters.
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He's into the broody characters.

It makes sense that Kit plays the saddest, sexiest guy in the Seven Kingdoms. In 2016, he told The Guardian that he likes playing broody characters, saying, "I like doing anguish, deep depression, and darkness. I don't know why, maybe that's who I am. Nothing interests me less than doing a romantic comedy."

11
He's written three TV shows.
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He's written three TV shows.

Kit also told The Guardian that he sees himself going beyond acting someday. "I've written three TV shows with my best friend Dan West, two of which we have sold, so I would like to see myself producing," he said. "I met Dan at drama school — we live together and write together. It's like a sexless marriage."

12
He's totally fine with nudity.
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He's totally fine with nudity.

The actor has had his fair share of naked moments on Game of Thrones, and he's completely cool with it. As he told the New York Daily News in 2013, "I'm fine with nudity, actually. I think it's one of those things . . . you take off your robe and there you are nude . . . And there's a hundred people watching you and after the first 30 seconds, everyone's seen everything. I'm quite happy to strut around naked after that."

13
He admires Jaime Lannister.
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He admires Jaime Lannister.

During his HBO interview for season three of Game of Thrones, Kit was asked which characters he admired. "I have huge admiration for Jaime Lannister. Tyrion too," he said. "What's interesting with Jaime is that you can put it behind you that he threw Bran off the tower, because of what Jaime stands up to and has done this season."

Yeah, we get it — loving Jaime Lannister is a rocky road.

14
He's a romantic.
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He's a romantic.

What would he consider his perfect date night? Kit told Access Hollywood in 2013 that he thinks a first date should be intimate. "I'd choose a nice dinner somewhere cozy, not too crowded, with good wine," he said.

15
He had a black eye when he auditioned for Game of Thrones.
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He had a black eye when he auditioned for Game of Thrones.

Kit doesn't remember how he got it, but he thinks the black eye might have made him "look a bit tougher" during his audition.

16
He feels a connection to Jon Snow.
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He feels a connection to Jon Snow.

He may not be a bastard who's literally been brought back to life, but Kit definitely relates to his Game of Thrones character. "The thing that drives both of us is more similar than you might think — he's driven by ambition," he told Rolling Stone. "I've always been very ambitious, too. Snow is a good person who believes in what he's doing, but that's the struggle: balancing duty with ambition. That's how I feel about my life. I'm very ambitious, but how do I balance that with not f*cking other people up around me?"

17
He's a fan of skinny dipping.
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He's a fan of skinny dipping.

Kit oh-so-casually said that it's "nice to go skinny-dipping" in the Chateau Marmont pool during an interview with Rolling Stone in 2014. Iiiinteresting.