‘Game of Thrones’: Why Kit Harington Used a Butt Double in Season 3 and Not Season 8
Jon Snow showed off his bare bum two different times during Kit Harington’s eight-season run on Game of Thrones. It happened the first time during season 3 when Ygritte (Rose Leslie) lured him into a cave and seduced him.
It happened again in the season 7 finale when Jon and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) finally got it on. Harington used a butt double in season 3, but not in season 8. Why did the actor change his mind about baring his bum on camera?
The ‘Game of Thrones’ star used a butt double because of ‘young male stupidity’
During season 3, Harington used a butt double for Jon Snow’s scene with Ygritte because of what he describes as “young male stupidity.” In the episode Kissed By Fire, fans saw Jon naked from behind during the scene where he lost his virginity. As Cheat Sheet has previously reported, Harington opted for a double because he had a broken ankle.
About six weeks before shooting started on season 3, Harington returned home after a night out in London with friends. That’s when he realized that he had locked himself out of his apartment, and his keys were inside.
Harington explained that he had climbed up to his second-floor once before. And after a night of drinking, he was convinced he could do it again. He was wrong. He doesn’t remember what happened next. But, his roommate found him on the sidewalk in agony and took him to the hospital.
The break was apparently pretty nasty, and doctors told Harington they were surprised he didn’t break his hip and leg. He admits that his biggest worry was losing his job. Harington says he was worried to tell his agents what had happened. But luckily, GOT decided to shoot around his injury.
Kit Harington enjoyed shooting the steamy scene with his future wife
Jon and Ygritte’s steamiest Game of Thrones moment turned out to be super romantic. Even though Harington was injured and used a double for one shot, he says “he enjoyed it a lot.”
Harington told Vulture in 2013 that “it’s one of the rare moments in the series where you get quite a tender, happy moment between two people.” As fans know, Harington and Leslie ended up falling for each other in real life and tied the knot in 2019. They are currently expecting their first child together.
Four seasons later, the Game of Thrones script once again called for Jon Snow to show his bum. This time, it was in a scene with Clarke in the season 7 finale The Dragon and the Wolf. When the episode aired, fans wanted to know if they actually saw the real Harington and his bare bum. Or, did he once again use a butt double?
Harington cleared things up once and for all during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2017.
‘Game of Thrones’ fans applauded Harington’s ‘perfect’ butt
According to BuzzFeed, when Harington appeared on the British talk show, he revealed that it was his bum that fans saw in the season 7 finale. He also admitted to doing “lots of squats” to prepare for the scene.
“If you’re getting your bum out in front of 60 million people, you do your homework,” Harington said.
“Is it weird that we’ve all enjoyed your buttocks?” Ross asked, to which Harington replied, “Not really no, I’ll get them out for anyone.”
When fans realized that what they saw was actually Harington, they took to social media in droves to voice their approval.
“Jon Snow’s butt is yet another example of how the media is poisoning America with body image issues and by America I mean me,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
Another added, “Me: I’m not really a butt guy. Also me: Jon Snow’s ass is why I believe in god.”
A third tweeted, “Just remembered Jon Snow’s butt and now I can’t stop thinking about Jon Snow’s butt.”
All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available on HBO and HBO Max.
