Mary Ellen Matthews for Variety Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage haven’t seen each other for seven years — not since the 2019 conclusion of “Game of Thrones,” the megahit HBO fantasy series that launched Harington’s career and cemented Dinklage’s, earning him three Emmys. But they spent the better part of a decade working together, enduring brutal conditions to tell an epic story about backstabbing monarchs, incestuous families and an endless winter — so their catchup is joyous and warm. Harington, now 39 and a series regular on HBO’s “Industry,” and Dinklage, 56, who recently guest starred in FX’s “The Lowdown,” are candid about the entertainment industry, sobriety and getting older as they reunite to discuss what they remember about making one of the greatest shows of all time.
Mary Ellen Matthews for Variety Kit Harington: Here’s something. This is going to be painful for you.
Peter Dinklage: Oh, boy. Let’s embarrass the fuck out of each other.
Harington: I am now the age —
Dinklage: Oh, fuck, I hate this.
Harington: — that you were when I first met you. My first-ever scene on camera was with you, and I remember thinking, “I’ve just got to be really still. That’s acting for cameras. To be as still as I possibly can be, then say my lines, then go back to stillness.” And in my head I’m like, “Why is that guy moving so much?”
Dinklage: Overacting. Bad acting. Being a ham.
Harington: And then I realized, no, you were just so much more experienced. I was like, “Just freeze. If you freeze, nothing can go wrong.”
Dinklage: In your defense, Jon Snow can be sort of a frozen character. Tyrion is a bit more fun than Mr. Killjoy. Mr. Do the Right Thing.
Harington: For me, I had no idea what “huge” was. I didn’t know what pilot season was. I knew what the Emmys were. I knew the letters “HBO” because I knew “The Sopranos.” And I knew I was in an American TV show. That was huge, just being employed. But it was an alarming realization when it started to be a success. It was like, “OK, this is good, but it’s getting a bit scary now.”
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