This 'Game of Thrones' actor was virtually unknown before becoming Jon Snow

Jon Snow
HBO

Fan theories surrounding the death of "Game of Thrones" character Jon Snow are piling as high as the Wall.

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Despite a juicy new trailer that hints at Snow's return, we'll have to wait until the show's season six premiere on April 24 to know his true fate.

In the meantime, take a look at how actor Kit Harington came to land the role of a lifetime — and what he thinks of Jon Snow.

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On "Game of Thrones," Kit Harington plays the bastard son of a lord. Turns out, the London-born actor is blue-blooded in real life.

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He's a direct descendent of King Charles II, and his grandfather was a baronet. Still, Harington insists he didn't grow up "posh."

kit harington, war horse
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Before graduating from London's Central School of Speech and Drama, he scored the lead in the original stage run of "War Horse."

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Watch a clip from his performance in "War Horse" »

Critics adored his performance as a country boy looking out for his beloved horse. It caught the attention of "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

kit harington, war horse
YouTube/warhorseonstage

Source: British Theater Guide and Rolling Stone

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Harington showed up to his first audition with a black eye. "I'd been in a scrap," he says. "But I think it might have helped."

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Source: Rolling Stone

Weiss later told a reporter he thought, "This is what Jon Snow looks like." He turned to Benioff and said, "Please let this kid be good."

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Source: Rolling Stone

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Being cast came with a condition — his hair had to be a certain length at all times. The creators also asked him to grow out a beard.

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Helen Sloan / HBO

Source: GQ

In season one, writers pranked him by writing a fake scene in which his hair was permanently singed off. "He took it well," Weiss says.

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Kit Harington arrives at the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Source: Rolling Stone

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He and John Bradly, who plays his mate Sam, are friends in real life. They read scenes together in the bar the night before shooting.

Jon Snow and Sam
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Source: TV Insider

And while he's been tied romantically to costars Emilia Clarke and Rose Leslie, Harington says the rumors are untrue.

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Actors Kit Harington, Rose Leslie and John Bradley attend HBO's 'Game Of Thrones' panel and Q&A during Comic-Con International 2014 at San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2014 in San Diego, California. Kevin Winter/Getty
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While Harington worries about being pigeonholed into his most famous role, he appreciates playing a character he can relate to. "Snow's a black sheep," he says.

game of thrones jon snow season 5
Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

Source: Rolling Stone

"If you do two or three roles that are remembered, then you are very, very, lucky," he says. "I'm so fortunate that I have Jon Snow so early in my career."

Jon Snow Game of Thrones season five
HBO

Source: Rolling Stone

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"Game of Thrones" returns to HBO on April 24.

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