Kit Harington Checked Into Rehab After Filming Bleak 'Game of Thrones' Finale
Filming the brutal ending of "Game of Thrones" has reportedly taken a toll on star Kit Harington, who checked into rehab for stress and alcohol use before the show’s series finale, Page Six reports.
The end of the show, especially [SPOILER] his character Jon Snow having to kill his lover, "really hit him hard,” multiple sources confirmed to the gossip page.
Wife Rose Leslie, who played previous love Ygritte on the HBO hit series, is being "extremely supportive," according to the article. "Everyone close to him really wanted him to get some rest. Right now, he just needs peace and quiet."
A rep for the actor told Page Six, “Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues."
Behind-the-scenes footage of the first table read for the finale showed Harington breaking down in tears and holding his hand over his mouth in horror as he learned his character would kill power-mad lover Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).
He later told Jimmy Fallon, "I was very shocked and surprised ... then I blubbed my eyes out. I cried.”
He recently told Variety he was very uncomfortable about becoming the focus of the show when Jon Snow was killed and then came back to life: “My darkest period was when the show seemed to become so much about Jon... When you become the cliffhanger of a TV show, and a TV show probably at the height of its power, the focus on you is f—–g terrifying.
"That was a time when I started therapy and started talking to people," he said, "I had felt very unsafe, and I wasn’t talking to anyone."
He also told Esquire in April that he had a "full-on breakdown" after filming his final scenes for "Game of Thrones" and that he felt he was" being skinned" after taking off his costume.
"My final day of shooting, I felt fine… then I went to do my last shots and started hyperventilating a bit …Then they called ‘wrap’ and I just f—-g broke down. It was this onslaught of relief and grief about not being able to do this again."
We wish him all the best, of course.
Other "Games of Thrones" stars recently shared what an emotional toll filming the devastating Red Wedding scene took on them.
All the hugs, everyone.