Kit Harington became an A-list star after landing a starring role on HBO's "Game of Thrones," which premiered in 2011. Since then, he's been nominated for an Emmy and several SAG Awards.
When he's not playing Jon Snow, Harington has lent his voice to a character in "How to Train Your Dragon 2," starred as a gladiator in the 2014 movie "Pompeii," and appeared in the miniseries "Gunpowder."
Even though "Game of Thrones" will air its final season in April 2019, Harington's popularity is likely to continue. He showed off his comedic side in an "audition tape" for the next "How to Train Your Dragon" movie and currently stars as Austin in the British theater production of "True West."
In honor of his 32nd birthday, here are five things you probably didn't know about Harington.
He didn't know that his name wasn’t actually Kit until he was 11.
Harington didn't realize that his name is Christopher until he went to school and had to fill out exam papers.
"I put down 'Kit Harington,' and they [the teachers] looked at me like I was completely stupid, and they said, 'No, you're Christopher Harington, I'm afraid,'"Harington told Interview magazine. "It was only then I learned my actual name. That was kind of a bizarre existential crisis for an 11-year-old to have, but in the end, I always stuck with Kit, because I felt that's who I was. I'm not really a 'Chris.'"
His favorite book is 1984.
Harington's favorite fictional character is Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's best-selling dystopian novel. The book was published in 1949.
If Harington wasn't acting, he thinks he'd probably be involved in journalism or photography.
Harington told Esquire UK that he'd gravitate toward "something in the creative industries," but also "liked the idea" of being a war correspondent.
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