Kit Harington Reveals He Was Diagnosed With ADHD While In Rehab For Alcohol Problems: 'I Realized My Life Depended On It'
Kit Harington has revealed that he was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in 2019 while in rehab for alcohol problems.
The Game Of Thrones star, 37, told how he learned of his diagnosis while in an American clinic he went to after four years of trying to get sober.
Recalling his childhood, the actor said his parents would call him the “Prince of Darkness” because of the dark moods he fell into that “never really went away after my teenage years.”
Kit spoke about his diagnosis during an appearance on The Hidden 20% podcast with entrepreneur Ben Branson, who has autism and ADHD.
He said: 'I realized my life depended on this. Luckily it was the right place at the right time. From there I managed to build a new life.'
Kit Harington has revealed that he was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) while in rehab for alcohol problems
The Game Of Thrones star, 37, told how he learned of his diagnosis while at a US clinic he went to after four years of trying to get sober
Kit added that as a teenager he was “involved in a whole range of neuroses”, with his gloomy mood only changing as he became more aware of them.
He said, 'If it happens, I could… bring the whole room down. And a small part of me likes that I have this effect.
“So I have to be very aware that it's happening and remove myself from the situation.”
The actor also said his mental health battle was exacerbated by Game Of Thrones fans treating him like his character Jon Snow.
He said, “People would treat me like the character. But in my life I didn't have that at all. And that [led to] some psychological scars.'
Kit is married to his Game Of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie, with whom he shares a son, born in January 2021, and a daughter, born in February 2023.
It comes after Game of Thrones fans received a disappointing update about the previously teased spin-off show about Kit Harington's beloved Jon Snow character.
Despite discussing the potential show for Harington's 36-year-old character earlier this year, HBO's CEO Casey Bloys has now clarified that the series is not currently in development.
Recalling his childhood, the actor said his parents would call him the “Prince of Darkness” because of the dark moods he fell into that “never really went away after my teenage years.”
“I wouldn't say there's anything else in that world that's even close to a green light or anything like that,” he said TV lineand added, “but we're always working on different scripts and ideas.”
However, Bloys shared that the network greenlit Dunk and Egg in the spring, referring to the series order for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which is based on the Dunk and Egg novellas by Thrones author George RR Martin.
In 2022 – just months before HBO's first Game of Thrones spinoff prequel, House of the Dragon, debuted – the network was said to be in “early development” of a new series that would follow Snow.
Kit was expected to reprise his role as Jon Snow (aka Aegon Targaryen), with the show exploring his story after he left Westeros.
In December 2022, Kit teased the spin-off series during an appearance at a convention in Los Angeles, and Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin revealed that the show's working title was SNOW.
He also revealed that it was Kit who came up with the idea to continue Jon's storyline in a new series.
He wrote on his blog in June: 'Yes, it was Kit Harrington (sic) who brought the idea to us.
“I can't tell you the names of the writers/showrunners because they haven't been released yet… but Kit brought them in too, his own team, and they're amazing.”