One of Kit Harington’s most memorable roles was Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. While he may not be returning to the George R.R. Martin franchise anytime soon, the actor will be joining another HBO franchise, replacing Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter TV series. Now, he's opened up about why he wanted to play a part in this adaptation, and his reason made me teary-eyed.
While the London native first envisioned himself in Harry Potter as Snape or Sirius Black back in 2019, he’ll actually turn up as Gilderoy Lockhart in the HBO adaptation series. While Harington’s first reaction to playing Lockhart had to do with loving the J.K. Rowling series, the Game of Thrones alum revealed on Today another reason he said yes that’s very sentimental:
I’ve been a life-long Harry Potter fan. I was a fan when I was a kid, and then I rediscovered it as an adult. Listening to it every night, I listen to it every single night, and it helps me go to sleep. And I know other people do that as well. So they’re really important books to me. When I knew this was happening as a series, I thought it was the best idea. Because I love the films but, with this, they can really explore the books at their fullest. And, for a book nerd like me, that was…. [it] was a really great idea, so it was one that I had eyes on. I really wanted to be in it, and the part I’m playing, he’s just the best.
Listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks every night would probably turn anyone into a fan. So, it’s no wonder the Emmy nominee is so honored to play the charming yet narcissistic Gilderoy Lockhart.
Along with his personal connection to the stories, Harington also voiced Lockhart in Audible’s Harry Potter audiobooks. So, talk about dreams coming true: to take part in the audiobooks that helped you sleep at night and then portray that same character in live action!
Since Gilderoy Lockhart doesn’t make his first appearance until the second book, we won’t see Kit Harington until Season 2. Fortunately, he delivered some great news about when he gets started:
We’re into it now. We’re into the second season.
Well, it's nice to know the upcoming Harry Potter series is filming the seasons so close together, because it means we might not have to wait too long to see Harington don the flashy robes and cheeky smile as Lockhart.
Even though the Harry Potter series takes place in the Wizarding World, it’s been sounding more like Game of Thrones in scale. Nick Frost, who will play Hagrid, said production has taken close to a year, which is similar to GOT’s filming schedule. So, I imagine it's been fairly easy for Harington to jump into this new and grand fantasy world.
As Kit Harington absorbed so much of Harry Potter through its audiobooks, it’s incredibly sentimental to know he’ll get to portray one of the books’ most memorable characters. It’ll be exciting to see the Golden Globe nominee show off his versatility and comedic side playing the Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
To get some insight into Harington’s character, you can see Chamber of Secrets as well as the rest of the film series with an HBO Max subscription. Then, don’t forget to check out the Harry Potter TV series on the same streamer on Christmas Day.
