15 years ago, Game of Thrones premiered on HBO and changed television forever. The show ran from April 17, 2011 to its May 19, 2019, amassing one of the most devoted fanbases the medium has ever seen. And even in 2026, it only keeps growing.
Kit Harington was 24 when he first stepped into the fur-lined cloak of Jon Snow. He's 39 now, with a directorial debut under his belt, critical acclaim for his work on HBO's Industry, and a new Hulu limited series on the horizon. By any measure, he has well and truly moved on from Westeros.
And yet, Westeros hasn't entirely moved on from him. That reality hit Harington in the most ordinary, charming way possible.
Kit Harington reflects on Game of Thrones
At the 2026 Disney Upfronts in New York City this past Tuesday, where he was on hand to promote his upcoming Hulu limited series Count My Lies alongside Lindsay Lohan and Shailene Woodley, Entertainment Tonight caught up with him on the red carpet and the conversation, inevitably, drifted back to the Seven Kingdoms.
"Can you believe this year marks the 15th anniversary of Game of Thrones first premiering in 2011?" he was asked. Harington's response was warm and self-deprecating, and it also came with a heartwarming story that perfectly captures just how much the show has taken on a life of its own.
"I went to a shop yesterday and this lovely young man said, 'I love Game of Thrones,'" he recounted. "And I was like, 'How old are you?' And he said 18. And I went, 'You were three when I started that.'"
He laughed, adding: "Amazing that people are still watching it. It's amazing. Yeah, it lives on forever."
Game of Thrones became one of the most-watched and culturally dominant television series in history and Harington was at the center of it for nearly a decade. His Jon Snow went from brooding Night's Watch recruit to King in the North, through the unforgettable Season 5 "death" cliffhanger, his resurrection, his true Targaryen heritage reveal and his final exile beyond the Wall in the divisive series finale.
What Kit Harington has been up to
Since Game of Thrones wrapped, Harington has kept an impressively varied career. He's drawn particular critical acclaim for his role as Henry Muck on HBO's financial thriller Industry, where he joined the cast in season 3 and reprised the role for season 4 in 2026.
He also made his directorial debut earlier this year, premiering his short film Psychopomp at the 2026 Manchester Film Festival in March. Most recently, he was announced as part of the cast of Count My Lies.
Looking ahead, he's also set to star as Sydney Carton in an upcoming BBC One adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, on which he's also serving as executive producer.
As for Westeros itself, the universe has only expanded since Game of Thrones ended. House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms have both found audiences with new and returning fans, keeping the franchise alive well into its second decade.
A Jon Snow sequel series was in development as recently as 2022, with Harington attached and George R.R. Martin involved, but it was shelved by 2024 after the team couldn't land on a story they felt was worth telling. As of early 2026, a second attempt at a sequel with a new writer attached is reportedly in early development at HBO, though Harington has not signed on and has been candid about his reluctance to return to the role.
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