For most people, the final season of Game of Thrones is just around the corner. With pretty much a week left to go before it kicks off, the hype is reaching fever pitch.
For some, however, it’s already finished, and aside from the obligatory promotional duties, they’re looking to move on.
Specifically the actors, who are now in a race to not get typecast as the GoT characters we’ve come to love and hate (though most of them have done alright so far).
Watch Kit without his beard here:
In the same way you might decide to have a makeover after a break-up, actors will also often ‘get rid’ of a character once they’ve finished filming, by drastically changing their appearance.
Which is exactly what Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, has done.
While he’s not gone to the extreme and shaved all his hair off, he’s shaved the lower half of his face – I know! – in an effort to break away from the brooding, bearded hero we’ve become accustomed to throughout the series.
Harington unveiled his newly shorn visage while presenting Saturday Night Live. Aside from being playfully bombarded with questions about who’ll win the Iron throne, he does make light of his smooth mug.
Speaking to the crowd in his opening monologue, Kit says:
My name is Kit Harington, though most of you probably know me as Jon Snow. Now I’ve just shaved my beard so this is more of pre-pubescent Jon Snow, this is Jon Snow if he suddenly played for the Yankees… I have no idea what that means, the writers told me to say so you guys probably know what it means.
Me neither.
Incredibly, aside from the hilarious beard stuff, the monologue does actually get better, as Kit starts taking questions from the audience.
Before long, his co-star Emilia Clarke pops up, claiming to not know what happens in the finale of GoT either.
Kit shuts her down, saying she – like everyone – will have to wait until it’s on TV. She replies: ‘Alright fine. Oh hey, do you remember in season six when we had sex? Did you know they filmed that?!’
Elsewhere, Jon Bradley West, who plays Samwell Tarly pops up, while Pete Davidson makes an appearance as a White Walker. And, at the end, Kit’s wife Rose Leslie pops up with the main question: ‘How soon can you grow back that beard?’
Great stuff guys, love your work. Can’t wait for season eight!
Season 8 of Game of Thrones will air in the US on HBO on April 14, and Sky Atlantic early morning April 15 in the UK.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.