Kit Harington has revealed he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while in rehab back in 2019 for alcohol problems.
The Game Of Thrones star, 37, told how he learned of his diagnosis while in an American clinic he went to after trying to get sober for four years.
Recalling his youth, the actor said his parents would refer to him as the ‘Prince of Darkness’ because of the low moods he would get in that ‘never really went away after my teenage years.’
Kit spoke about his diagnosis on an appearance on The Hidden 20% podcast with entrepreneur Ben Branson who has autism and ADHD.
He said: ‘I realised that my life was hanging on this. Luckily it was the right place at the right time. I managed to forge a new life from there.’
Kit added that he was ‘wrapped up in a whole load of neuroses’ as a teen with his low moods only changing when he became more aware of them.
He said: ‘When it happens I can… bring the whole room down. And a little part of me likes it that I’m having this effect.
‘So I have to be very aware that it’s happening and remove myself from the situation.’
The actor also said his mental health battle was made worse by Game Of Thrones fans treating him like his character Jon Snow.
He said: ‘People would treat me like the character. But in my life I didn’t feel like that at all. And that [led to] some psychological scarring.’
Kit is married to his Game Of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie who he shares a son born in January 2021 and a daughter born in February 2023.
It comes after Game of Thrones fans received a disappointing update regarding the previously teased spin-off show following Kit Harington’s beloved Jon Snow character.
Despite HBO’s CEO Casey Bloys previously discussing the potential show for Harington’s, 36, character earlier this year, he has now clarified that the series is not currently in development.
‘I wouldn’t say there is anything else in that world that is close to a green light or anything,’ he told TV Line, adding, ‘but we are always working on different scripts and ideas.’
However, Bloys shared that the network ‘greenlit Dunk and Egg in the spring’ in reference to the series order for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which is based on Thrones author George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas.
In 2022 – just months before HBO’s first Game of Thrones spin-off prequel, House of the Dragon, debuted – the network was said to be in ‘early development’ of a new series that would follow Snow.
Kit was expected to reprise his role as Jon Snow (a.k.a. Aegon Targaryen), with the show said to explore his story after leaving Westeros.
In December of 2022 Kit teased the spin-off series during an appearance at a convention in Los Angeles, and Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin revealed the working title of the show was SNOW.
He also let loose that it was Kit that came up with the idea of continuing Jon’s storyline in a new series.
He wrote in his blog back in June: ‘Yes, it was Kit Harrington (sic) who brought the idea to us.
‘I cannot tell you the names of the writers/ showrunners, since that has not been cleared for release yet… but Kit brought them in too, his own team, and they are terrific.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
