Former “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington has opened up about his past mental health struggles and addiction, revealing more information about his stays in rehab during the early parts of his career. The British actor first entered rehab during the airing of the eighth and final season and has now spoken honestly about the reasons behind his addiction and why he sought help.
Kit Harington Explains Why He Needed Rehab
GettyAs one of the stars of HBO‘s hugely successful series, based on George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy novel series, Harington had found levels of fame that he could previously never have dreamed of.
However, the intense focus on his career due to his leading role in “Game of Thrones” and the publicity that brought also came with some downsides.
Speaking in an interview with Mr Porter, Harington explained how constantly being in the public eye and having a sense that the pinnacle of his career may already be behind him led him down a dark path. However, it was one that he was able to overcome thanks to the support he received, both professionally and in his personal life.
“I look at it this way,” Harington said when explaining how he felt at the time. “Everything in life up until 27 years old went so fast, and it felt as if the universe was expanding, everything was amazing and new and fresh. It was all incredible. And then at 28, it just didn’t feel like that anymore and I went to rehab for the first time.”
Harington didn’t stay in rehab long, though, as he didn’t understand how important the process was for him at that time. He added, “I went, ‘You guys, I’m not doing this.’ I just wasn’t ready. You have to be ready. I told them I knew there was a problem, but I couldn’t deal with it.
The actor continued, “And then from 28 to 32, it was a slow process of recognising, ‘OK, life doesn’t carry on like that.’ At some point, you’ve got to grow up. And it took a long time for me to do that.”
Kit Harington Feels Like Becoming a Father Came at the Right Time
GettyEventually, Harington entered rehab again and made more of a conscious effort to engage in the process of dealing with his alcohol consumption. “I had a devil on my shoulder and he was a hard one to let go of,” Harington says.
“When those close to me begged me to go to rehab, I remember saying that it was unreasonable to ask someone to live a sober life. I didn’t want that. But once you’ve got over it, you don’t think about it anymore. My life is better like this. I just didn’t want to do that to myself anymore. Rehab is also so expensive that you can’t afford to leave. Every time I thought about doing so, I’d imagine burning a suitcase with that amount of money in it.”
Harington also credits his wife Rose Leslie for helping him, as well as the fact that he became a father about a year after he left rehab.
“I think it all happened just at the right time,” he revealed. “I’d made some choices, and then everything fell into place. And that’s what I was told would happen if I made those choices. I think that my kids met me at the right time; just like my mum did with me and my brother.”
“Rose and I are very caring of each other,” Harington shared. “We’re very loving, and tactile, and we make sure we tell each other that we love each other. Rose is just the most genuine soul. I’m very, very lucky. I really am. And Rose was there through all of the hard stuff, and she’s been through some journeys with me. But it has truly worked out.”
