With the 71 st Primetime Emmy Awards being the last “hurrah” for Game of Thrones, the beloved series’ cast was out in full force at the Sept. 22 event in Los Angeles. This included, surprisingly, Kit Harington. The 32-year-old actor, best known for bringing Jon Snow to life, attended the event in what would mark his first public appearance since checking into rehab in April. Clearly, Kit has been working hard at getting his life in order, because he looked amazing. He kept it simple and kept it sleek, wearing a a Givenchy Fall-Winter 2019 outfit, designed by Clare Waight Keller. His beard was trimmed, and his hair was short. He even offered a smile to the cameras while showing off his beautiful wristwatch.
Ahead of the end of Game of Thrones, Kit checked himself into Privé-Swiss, a health retreat in Connecticut, in April. The star reportedly wanted to get ahold of his issues with “stress and alcohol,” and his rep confirmed to HollywoodLife that he was indeed seeking treatment. “Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Kit allegedly struggled with the pressure that came with GoT’s success, and while at the facility, underwent a variety of psychological treatments – from coaching and mindful meditation to cognitive behavioral therapy – all to the reported tune of $120,000 a month.
At the end of May, Kit was seen for the first time since he entered treatment. He was photographed at Privé-Swiss, leaving his private villa to make his way to a boutique fitness center, also owned by the treatment facility. He kept it casual with a pair of grey sweats and a white t-shirt. A day after this excursion, he was seen again in public. Kit took a break from his treatment and was joined by a female friend for the outing. In both instances, Kit appeared calm, healthy, and on his way back to being happy.
The end of Game of Thrones, the most Emmy-winning prime-time series in history and HBO’s most-watched show, took an emotional toll on Kit. “For a long time toward the end of ‘Thrones,’ I felt like I wanted to be a new person, but I was stuck in this shape,” he said when speaking to Variety for a March 2019 issue. On the last day of shooting, Kit said, “I took off the costume, and it felt like my skin was being peeled away. I was very emotional. It felt like someone was shedding me of something.” He added that, like many other members of the cast, he cried at the table read of the final season. “[T]he end of Jon’s journey, whatever that may be … I was satisfied with how his story ended.”
There was some speculation that Kit would make an appearance at the 2019 Emmys. Not only is this is GoT’s last chance to clean up at the awards show (and having Kit not there would be such a waste), but it’s also the first major event since Kit officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At Disney’s D23 Expo in August, the House of Mouse announced Kit would join The Eternals to play The Black Knight. The role will reunite him with his Game of Thrones’ co-star Richard Madden, who shared fans’ excitement to see Kit back in action. “It’s brilliant,” Richard, who will portray Ikaris, told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s been about 10 years since we’ve worked together, I think. So we’ve moved on a bit onto different things, so I’m really excited to get back on set.”