AN actor has opened up about why he was so keen to join HBO’s Harry Potter reboot despite the controversy surrounding the series.
Kit Harington is set to play wizard and Hogwarts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of the new television adaptation.
The former Game of Thrones star spoke about his role in the show on NCB’s Today show, where he opened up about why he decided to take on the role.
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Speaking on NBC’s Today show, Harington said: “I’ve been a lifelong Harry Potter fan.
“I was a fan when I was a kid, and then I rediscovered it as an adult, listening to it every night.
“I listen to it every single night, and it helps me go to sleep, and I know other people do that as well, so they’re really important books to me.”
The actor’s comments come as the upcoming HBO series continues to attract debate from some fans.
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The reboot has faced criticism from those who believe another adaptation is unnecessary following the hugely successful film franchise, while others have objected to the involvement of author J.K. Rowling, who serves as an executive producer.
Despite the backlash, Harington said he believed turning the books into a television series was “the best idea”.
“When I knew this was happening as a series, I thought it was the best idea,” he said.
“I love the films, but with this, they can really explore the books at their fullest, and for a book nerd like me, that was a really great idea.”
The 39-year-old added that he had his eye on the project from the moment it was announced.
“So it was one that I had eyes on, I really wanted to be in it, and the part I’m playing is just the best,” he said.
Harington takes over the role of the vain and fame-hungry Lockhart after Nicholas Hoult was forced to step aside because of scheduling conflicts.
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The character was memorably played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The actor already has a connection to the wizarding world, having voiced Lockhart in Audible’s full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, released in 2025.
The first season of HBO’s new adaptation is due to premiere on Christmas Day, with the studio planning to adapt all seven Harry Potter books across multiple seasons.
Harington grew up in Worcestershire and attended Chantry School in Martley and Worcester Sixth Form College.
In a previous interview with the Worcester News, Harington said: “Worcestershire will always be my home.
“I will continue to come back.
“I’m very fond of my home but it is much harder now to get back.
“Whenever people ask me where I’m from I say from London – and a place called Worcester.”