He attended Worcester Sixth Form College, where he studied Drama and Theatre (2003–05). He became interested in acting after watching a production of Waiting for Godot when he was 14, and he performed in several school productions. When he was 11, his family moved to Worcestershire and he studied at the Chantry High School in Martley until 2003. Harington was a pupil at the Southfield Primary School from 1992 to 1998. He claims a family connection with the leader of the plot, Robert Catesby, on his mother's side, while through his father's side, he is related to King James I (grandfather of King Charles II), the target of the assassination attempt, and to Lord Harington, who was in the Houses of Parliament that Catesby and his co-conspirators tried to blow up. He is related to men who were involved on opposite sides of the Gunpowder Plot. Also through his father, Harington descends from Scottish politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Through his paternal grandmother, Lavender Cecilia Denny, Harington's eighth-great-grandfather was Charles II of England. The Haringtons are an ancient family that once spelled their name Haverington and derived the name from their estate, a lordship in Cumberland. Harington's uncle was Sir Nicholas John Harington, 14th Baronet, and his patrilineal great-grandfather was Sir Richard Harington, 12th Baronet.
He did not learn what his full name was until he was eleven years old. His full name is Christopher Catesby Harington his mother named him after Christopher Marlowe, whose first name was shortened to Kit, a name Harington prefers. Harington was born on 26 December 1986 in Acton, London, to Deborah Jane (Catesby), a former playwright, and Sir David Harington, 15th Baronet, a businessman. Ĭoat of Arms of the Baron Harington: Sable, a fret argent Harington was cast as Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals, which was released in November 2021.
He also voiced Eret in the How to Train Your Dragon film series. His film roles include the historical romance film Pompeii (2014) and the British period drama Testament of Youth (2014). Harington developed, produced and starred in the BBC drama series Gunpowder (2017) based around the leading role of his ancestor Robert Catesby in the Gunpowder plot. In 2011, his breakthrough role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019) earned him international recognition and several awards, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2019 and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2019.
He studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and made his professional acting debut with the lead role as Albert Narracott in the critically acclaimed West End play War Horse at the National Theatre in 2009. Christopher Catesby " Kit" Harington (born 26 December 1986) is a British actor.