Kit Harington says he hopes he is judged by his acting and ‘not just f***ing how I appear’
‘Game of Thrones’ star said being called a ‘hunk’ is ‘incredibly demeaning’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kit Harington has described his discomfort at being judged by his appearance.
The Game of Thrones star has been described as a “hunk” countless times over the years and was ranked as one of “British TV’s greatest male sex symbols”.
One interviewer described him as “the totally fit one in Game of Thrones with whom all my friends are obsessed” and there are internet pages dedicated to picture galleries of the star, with one bearing the headline “Kit Harington Photos That Will Basically Make You Pregnant”.
When asked about how he feels about being thought of as one of the world’s sexiest men, he told The Sunday Times: “I have a problem with being referred to as incredibly sexy, or a hunk or anything, because it’s incredibly demeaning. It’s demeaning for both women and men.
“It’s demeaning for anyone to be categorised by their appearance, no matter how that might sound when some people might say it’s what gets me work. Well, I disagree with that.”
He added that it’s his acting skills that get him work. “I would hope it would be something that I bring to screen that’s not just f***ing how I appear.”
This is not the first time Harington has spoken out against being objectified. He famously did so in 2015, saying: “To always be put on a pedestal as a hunk is slightly demeaning. It really is and it’s in the same way as it is for women. When an actor is seen only for her physical beauty, it can be quite offensive.”
Elsewhere in the new interview, Harington discussed his alcoholism and mental health issues.
Harington played Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy epic Game of Thrones for eight years. He has since starred in the Netflix show Criminal and has a baby son with his wife and fellow Thrones star Rose Leslie.
He can next be seen in an episode of Amazon’s Modern Love, in which he plays an Irish man who falls in love with a stranger on train.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments