15 years ago, HBO gave audiences what would become one of the greatest TV shows of all time when Game of Thrones premiered. Its incredible cast was composed of seasoned actors, like Peter Dinklage as well as Kit Harington and other up-and-comers, and they helped shape the series into the ratings monster and Emmy winner it was for eight seasons. In some ways, it's hard to believe so much time has passed since the show first hit the airwaves. But, if you really want to feel old, Harington shared with Dinklage a fact from the series that may or may not have someone in their feels.
In terms of how old the cast of Game of Thrones was when the show first started, stars like Emilia Clarke were in their early 20s, and Maisie Williams was a child star back then. Now, everyone is all grown up since shedding their cloaks from their Winterfell days. But, when Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage had a little reunion chat on Variety’s Actors on Actors, the British actor revealed to his longtime co-star a mind-blowing, age-related stat that threw Dinklage for a loop:
- Harington: I am now the age —
- Dinklage: Oh, fuck, I hate this.
- Harington: — that you were when I first met you. My first-ever scene on camera was with you, and I remember thinking, ‘I’ve just got to be really still. That’s acting for cameras. To be as still as I possibly can be, then say my lines, then go back to stillness.’ And in my head I’m like, ‘Why is that guy moving so much?’
- Dinklage: Overacting. Bad acting. Being a ham.
- Harington: And then I realized, no, you were just so much more experienced. I was like, ‘Just freeze. If you freeze, nothing can go wrong.’
Well, way to make me feel ancient. That feeling of my mortality aside, though I love the two actors’ hilarious exchange, including Dinklage calling himself a “ham” for “overacting.” And, of course, the irony of Harington feeling he had to make himself stiff to be a good actor is great as well.
By that point, Peter Dinklage already had notable movies as part of a solid filmography, like The Station Agent and Elf, before landing the role of Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones and winning four Emmys for his portrayal. With that I can understand Harington having those feelings upon working with Dinklage for the first time. Of course, it's clear that they're good buddies now, which may be something that's comforting to fans.
As for that age-centric factoid, the Industry actor is indeed around the age Dinklage was. Dinklage was about 41 during production on Season 1 of Thrones, and Harington is 39 now and will turn 40 later this year. When Harington made his career breakthrough as Jon Snow, he was fresh in his early twenties, signing up for what would be an HBO show that would get the world talking. Harington's been quite reflective as of late, and he recently spoke about how a fan made him “feel old” after revealing he was three when Game of Thrones premiered.
With Kit Harington in his late 30s and Peter Dinklage in his late 50s now, both have long since stepped out of their medieval fantasy series and into new chapters of their lives. Harington has since married his GoT co-star, Rose Leslie, is a father of two kids with her and is set to star in the limited series Count My Lies.
As for Dinklage, he’s also a married man with two kids and has an upcoming role in the William Shakespeare-adapted flick, Lear Rex. From fighting off White Walkers to soaking in domestic life and acting projects, these two co-stars continue to live their best lives beyond the HBO series that turned them into household names.
It's honestly staggering just how quickly time flies, and Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage's recent conversation is a stark (no pun intended) reminder of that. While their ages have obviously changed since they began playing the Westeros-based characters, something that clearly hasn't is the camaraderie between them, and I love to see it. Fans can also see their work on Game of Thrones by streaming all eight seasons with an HBO Max subscription.
