>>> WELL, TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT.
"GAME OF THRONES" RETURNS TO
HBO.
EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH
THE SHOW, THERE'S BEEN NO
AVOIDING THE CULTURAL PHENOMENON
BASED ON THE BOOKS OF GEORGE
R.R. MARTIN.
THE ENIC FEINT SIT HAS GIVING US
THE ICONIC WARNING, WINTER IS
COMING, AND JAW-DROVE SCENES
LIKE THE RED WEDDING.
AT THE CENTER OF THE SERIES IS
THE HEROIC JON SNOW, PLAYED BY
KIT HARINGTON.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT WAS THE
FIRST ON-SCREEN ROLE OF HIS
CAREER.
HE'S NOW A STAR AROUND THE WORLD
AND MARRIED TO ROSE LESLIE, WHO
HE MET IN A FIGHT SCENE ON THE
SHOW.
KIT AND I GOT TOGETHER FOR A
SUNDAY SIT-DOWN AND A GAME OF
POOL.
>> THIS IS WHAT THE SEGMENT
SHOULD BE, JUST THIS WHOLE GANG.
>> OOH.
>> JUST QUICKLY, IF YOU COULD,
KIT, RECAP THE FIRST SEVEN
SEASONS, JUST 30 SECONDS OR SO.
>> OKAY, SO --
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> I ACTUALLY TRIED TO DO THAT.
THERE WAS ONE KING WHO DIED.
MULTIPLE KINGS FOUGHT TO DISRUPT
THE ULTIMATE KING HIMSELF, THE
NIGHT KING DAME AND ATTACKED
SEVEN KING DOM WHICH FORCED THE
REST OF THE KINGS AND REMAINING
POWER IMBALANCES TO UNITE AND GO
AGAINST HIM.
>> THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.
>> 30 SECONDS ON THE NOSE FOR
"G
"GAME OF THRONES" START KIT
HARINGTON THAT TOOK TEN YEARS TO
FILM.
OVER EIGHT SEASONS HIS CHARACTER
HAS GOT FROM THE BASTARG OF
WINTERFELL TO THE KING FIGHTING
FOR THE REALM.
>> I JUST READ SOMEWHERE THAT
THEY'RE EXPECTING A BILLION
PEOPLE TO WATCH.
>> ROSE TOLD ME THAT.
I WENT, GREAT, AND THEN THOUGHT
ABOUT IT IN BED AND WENT, OH!
LIKE WAKING UP IN TERROR.
>>> LONG BEFORE HARINGTON BECAME
SNOW, HE WAS THE SON OF A
PLAYWRIGHT AND BUSINESSMAN, HE
WAS TURNED ON TO ACTING AFTER
SEEING A PERFORMANCE OF "WAIT
FOR GEAUDEAU."
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS SO HE FUNNY.
>> SO THERE WAS NEVER A CHANCE
FOR ANYTHING ELSE?
>> I THOUGHT MAYBE JOURNALIST, I
THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER
CAREER HERE THAT MEANS OF NOT
BEING DEATH ATTITUDE.
>>> HE WON THE LEAD IN "WAR
HORSE."
>> IT'S MY HORSE.
IT HELPED HIM TO LAND AN
AUDITION FOR "GAME OF THRONES."
>> ONE OF THE BIG PARTS WAS JON
SNOW.
I REMEMBER GOING UP FOR IT,
KNOWING SOMEWHERE INSIDE ME THIS
WAS IN THE CANON OF WORK I COULD
DO.
>> THE SHOW'S PRODUCERS AGREED.
HE WAS JUST 22 YEARS OLD WHEN
THE SHOW'S PILOT WAS FILMED.
>> GO ON.
FARE IS WATCHING.
>> TO ILLUSTRATE JUST HOW YOUNG
YOU WERE WHEN YOU GOT THE PART,
I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH YOU MAY HAVE
SEEN.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN
ON THE RIGHT THERE?
>> SEEN, I HAD JUST SHAVED, SO I
LOOK MORE HIM THAN I USUALLY
WOULD.
22, AMAZING.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THOSE
FACES, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT?
>> THAT PHOTO THERE IS MY FIRST
EXPERIENCE OF ANY KIND OF I
GUESS NOTORIETY OR FAME.
I REMEMBER BEING REALLY EXCITED
BY THAT.
I'M PROBABLY RINGING MY MUM
ABOUT IT OR SOMETHING.
>> THAT CLEAN-SHAVING LOOK
DIDN'T LAST LONG AS HE SPENT
MOST OF HIS 20s DONING A BEARD,
LONG HAIR AND THAT CLOAK.
>> I THINK THE ONE GOT FLEAING,
AND WE HAD TO CHANGE IT UP.
>> I IMAGINE IT GETS GAMY AFTER
A DECADE.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> HE DIED AND SPOILEDER ALERT,
CAME BACK TO LIFE.
TO SURVIVE EVEN MORE EPIC
BATTLES.
>> IT WAS JUST THAT DOGGED
WARRIOR WHO GETS KNOCKED DOWN
AND PICKS HIMSELF HE BACK UP.
THE "GAME OF THRONES" CAST IS
SWORN TO SECRECY ABOUT SEASON 8,
BUT WORD IS OUT ABOUT THE BATTLE
OF WINTERFELL, WHERE A GROUP OF
FORMER ENEMIES FIGHT THE NIGHT
KING.
>> IT WAS 5 NIGHT SHOOTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT MEANT TO
WORK AT NIGHT FOR THAT LONG, BUT
WHEN WE CAME OUT OF IT AT THE
OTHER END, WE KNEW WE WERE
PROBABLY SITTING ON SOMETHING
QUITE SPECIAL.
>> HE'S CAREFUL NOT TO REVEAL
SPOILERS, BUT HE DID LET GUARD
DOWN HIS BRIEFLY FOR ONE
QUESTION.
>> IF ANY WINTERY, FREEZING COLD
NOW AT NIGHT BATTLES LIKE
WINTERFELL, JON NEVER WEARS A
HAT.
HAS HE EVER CONSIDERED WEARING A
HAT IN BATTLE?
>> NO, HIS HAIR IS TOO
IMPORTANT.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
>> I REMEMBER ASKING FOR A HAT
ONCE.
WHEN WE WERE IN ICELANDS, CAN I
NOT JUST WEAR A HAT?
WE WERE AT MINUS 40.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU HAVE KIND
OF A BRAND NOW THAT WE NEED TO
LOOK AFTER.
>> BUT I'M NOT A STARK.
>> ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY
JON SNOW'S STORY ENDS?
>> I'M SATISFIED WITH HOW THEY
FINISHED MY STORY LINE, THE
STORY LINE OF THRONES, BUT YOU
CANNOT SATISFY EVERYONE.
>> AS KIT LEAVES BEHIND THE
CLOAK AND BEARD, HE'S MOVING ON
WITH HIS FAVORITE "GAME OF
THRONES" CHARACTER AT HIS SIDE.
>> YOU KNOW NOTHING, JON SNOW.
>> YOU'VE SAID FOR ALL THE GREAT
THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS
SHOW, BY FAR THE BEST IS YOU MET
YOUR WIFE ON THIS SHOW.
>> WHAT MORE COULD I ASK?
>> THAT'S IT.
NOT EVERYONE MEETS HIS WIFE
CHASING HER DOWN A SNOWY
MOUNTAINSIDE ENDING UP WITH A
KNIFE TO HER THROAT.
>> IT HAPPENS WE MET IN THE
SHOW.
WE ALWAYS TRIED NOT TO BE
DEFINED BY THAT.
IT'S JUST A JOB WE METS ON, AND
ONCE THE SHOW FINISHES, WE GET
TO KIND OF BREAK FREE OF IT A
BIT AND JUST BE US, WHICH IS A
REALLY NICE FEELING.
>> THERE'S ONLY ONE WAR THAT
MATTERS, THE GREAT WAR.
>> HAVE YOU BEGUN TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT'S NEXT FOR?
YOU.
>> I DID A PLAY ON THE WEST
ENDS.
>> STARTED POURING FORTH HIS
VAST KNOWLEDGE OF CINEMA.
>> IT REMINDED ME OF MY LOVE FOR
THEATER.
SO I FULLY INTEND TO BE DOING
MORE OF THAT.
>> WHAMP COMES NEXT FOR KIT
HARINGTON, HE KNOWS FULL WELL
"GAME OF THRONES "WILL BE HARD
TO BEAT.
>> THRONES HAS POSSIBLY GIVING
ME MY FUTURE FAMILY.
IT'S GIVING ME MY WIFE, FRIENDS
FOR LIFE.
I WILL LOVE THAT CHARACTER MORE
THAN ANY OTHER CHARACTER I'LL
THERE'S NO WAY TO SAY THANK YOU
TO IT ENOUGH.
THERE NEVER WILL BE.
I THINK THAT COMES BACK TO THE
QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO YOU FEEL
NOW THAT IT'S FINISHING?
WELL, THERE AREN'T WORDS TO
DESCRIBE HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
>>> THE EIGHTH AND FINAL SEASON
OF "GAME OF THRONES" AS IF YOU
NEED ME TO TELL YOU PREMIERES
TONIGHT AT 9:00 ON HBO.
OUR THANKS TO THE LIBRARY BAR IN
THE HUDSON HOTEL FOR HOSTING
THAT CONVERSATION, AND I WON THE
POOL GAME ONLY BECAUSE KIT
SCRATCHED.
CHECK OUT OUR WEB EXTRAS AT
TODAY.COM/SUNDAY.
DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE
PODCASTN
HER PHONE AND BECAME A GLOBAL
LITERARY SENSATION.