Kit Harington talks about why he is “proud” of his journey to sobriety, his time on “Game of Thrones” and his new role in “Industry.”

The actor talked about all this – and more – in an interview with GQ Hype as the magazine’s newest cover star.

Read on to learn more.

Why he is “proud” of his path to abstinence

Harington said he was “so lucky” that he got sober before having children because at some point it “felt physically and emotionally impossible for him not to drink again.”

The actor, who has previously spoken openly about his alcoholism, has two children with his wife Rose Leslie, a son born in 2021 and a daughter born in 2023.

He said his sobriety helped him feel “more proud” of himself.

“Before I got sober, I would stare in the mirror and call myself an asshole. I hated myself. I literally despised myself and wasn’t proud of anything I’d done. I couldn’t be proud,” he recalled. “The fact that I’m proud of getting sober is in and of itself a sign that I’m a completely different person.”

“Now I’m proud of every set I walk on, every job I do, because I know I put everything into it,” he continued. “Before, I had this huge weight on my back that just dragged me down. So yeah, the whole nature of being proud of myself is a relatively new perspective for me.”

About the end of “Game of Thrones” – and the rumored spinoff

Much has been said about the controversial ending of Game of Thrones in May 2019, and Harington is well aware of it.

“I think if there was a flaw in the ending of ‘Thrones,’ it was that we were all so damn tired that we couldn’t have carried on any longer,” he said. “And so I understand that some people thought it was rushed, and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was an alternative.”

He continued: “I look at pictures of myself this last season and I look exhausted. I look drained. I didn’t have another season in me.”

As for the final episode – and the fan backlash that followed – Harington said, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”

“I think there were mistakes made story-wise, maybe towards the end,” he said. “I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work out.”

Regarding rumors about a spin-off of his character Jon Snow, Harington said that “the last thing” anyone involved in the series wants is “to put out something that is not good.”

“The role will always be such a significant factor in my life. It may very well be the biggest, most important job I do. I met my wife through it. I have children through it. I have some lifelong friends through it. I get recognized on the street through it,” he said. “(But) it also went against what I’m trying to do, which is to separate myself from (the show). If I’m still on it, (it would be) very hard to ask people to see you as anything else. And it’s kind of essential to my job that people come and see me and not Jon Snow.”

About his new role at “Industry”

At the moment, Harington is focusing on his latest role as Sir Henry Much on “Industry.”

The actor was a fan of the first few seasons and joined the show – without an audition – after his team contacted creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.

Although the series is set in the banking world, Harington talked about how he convinced the creators to let him keep his beard for the role.

“One of the first things I said to Mickey and Kon was, ‘You guys are doing a sexy show here. And I know you’re going to want me to shave, because we’re in banking, right? And without a beard, I just don’t look sexy. I look like a tired child. Nobody will believe that Marisa (Abela, who plays Yasmin) would choose me,'” he recalled. “They agreed, thankfully.”

As for his status as a “pretty boy” or “heartthrob” from “Game of Thrones” to “Eternals” to “the industry,” Harington expressed his feelings as bluntly as possible.

“I think it’s just a stupid word. Whenever I see a young male actor being touted as a great guy or a heartthrob, it reduces him to his appearance,” he said. “We shouldn’t do that to women, we shouldn’t do that to men. That’s just how I feel about it.”