“Things that have happened to me since ‘Thrones’ ended, and that were happening during ‘Thrones,’ were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol,” he said.
The actor, 34, when on to say that at times he felt like a “bad” and “shameful person.”
“And you feel that there’s no way out, that’s just who you are. And getting sober is the process of going, ‘No, I can change,'” Harington said. “One of my favourite things I learnt recently is that the expression ‘a leopard doesn’t change its spots’ is completely false: that a leopard actually does change its spots. I just think that’s the most beautiful thing. It really helped. That was something I kind of clung to; the idea that I could make this huge fundamental change in who I was and how I went about my life.”
The actor said that at times he felt suicidal.
“I went through periods of real depression where I wanted to do all sorts of things,” he went on to say. “But I definitely don’t want to be seen as a martyr or special. I’ve been through something, it’s my stuff. If it helps someone, that’s good.”
As for becoming a father, he says it’s the hardest job he’s had yet.
“There’s something about having a child that is the most physically draining thing. My hat goes off to any single parent,” he said. “Any single parent, you’re a f***ing genius. I don’t know how you do it. Because it’s more exhausting than everything I did on ‘Thrones.'”
