Kit Harington says watching his performances in early Game of Thrones episodes makes him ‘wince’

‘Looking back at your early work is very painful,’ actor said

Kit Harington has said that he struggles to watch his early work on Game of Thrones.

The English actor was around 24 when he appeared in the lead role of Jon Snow on the HBO series that became a global phenomenon.

At the recent Game of Thrones fan convention in Los Angeles, Harington admitted he “winces” when watching his performance in the show’s first series, which premiered in 2011.

Asked by The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon host Jason Concepcion if he was able to look back on Thrones and appreciate his growth as an actor, Harington replied: “I think any actor would find this – looking back at your early work is very painful.

“If I watch those early seasons of Thrones, especially season one, I’m wincing.”

However, Harington – now 35 – was quick to add that he “learnt a huge amount throughout those years” and that the experience of working on a “marathon” production served him in good sted for his career.

Kit Harington as Jon Snow in season one of ‘Game of Thrones’ (HBO)

“I feel very aware of what I’m good at,” he concluded, “and that’s a very good thing to know as an actor.”

Elsewhere at the fan convention, Podrick Payne star Daniel Portman admitted to lying about reading George RR Martin’s books from which the series was based.

“I used to say, ‘Well, I did [start reading the books] but then there wasn’t enough time’ – Nah. No. I didn’t and still haven’t,” he admitted.