The Astounding Friendship between Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke served as two of the most important cogs in the machine that was Game of Thrones.

Their characters — Clarke's Daenerys and Harington's Jon Snow — practically ran the show.

Their characters wouldn't get together until season seven of the show. And as soon as they did, speculations about them dating in real life also propped up.

But, did they actually date? Or was it just wishful thinking from fans?

Dark Humor Brought Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke Close

Harington and Clarke first met before Game of Thrones started. They came across one another at the Fitzwilliam bar in Belfast.

Harington was talking to Rich Madden, the actor who played Rob Stark, when Madden brought up the topic of Clarke.

He said he had met the "new Daenerys" and that she was "gorgeous." Harington replied saying he had not yet met her.

Clarke then entered the bar right that moment and Harington was wowed by her. "She takes your breath away when she walks into a room, Emilia," he told Esquire in 2019.

In 2017, while talking about the same subject, he told ELLE he was "bowled over" by Clarke. He described her as "this absolutely stunning, petite girl with this wicked sense of humor."

They soon formed a lasting bond over their shared dark humor.

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke Bonded over Similar Experiences

Clarke and Harington's bond is also a result of their circumstances. Game of Thrones was both their first big projects after drama school.

"Probably the closest to what we were each experiencing was what the other person was experiencing," Harington said.

Their characters, too, were in parallel journeys throughout the show. The two always go back to their shared experiences on the show.

Having never really been in the same room while filming the show for seven seasons didn't affect their relationship.

They formed their friendship while doing table reads, press events, meetings, and the like.

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke Kept the Dating Rumors Rolling

Despite just being friends, Clarke and Harington fueled dating rumors even before their characters came together.

In 2012, Harington and Clarke, along with Lena Headey and others, did a photoshoot with Rolling Stone.

The two friends engaged in some "really good fun" as Headey put it. One of the pictures from the fun session showcases them kissing.

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke for Rolling Stone in 2012. (Photo: Peggy Sirota/Instagram)

They still weren't a couple, though. And soon after this, Harington began an actual relationship with Rose Leslie, who you might know as Ygritte from the show.

Best Friends with the Couple

Clarke became best friends with Leslie as well, and the three have been friends for years. They spent time together off-screen, in London.

Harington and Leslie had a fairly complicated cat-and-mouse game with the press when it came to their relationship.

Clarke was the one to first officially confirm their relationship back in January 2016.

Maybe she convinced them to go public? Who knows?

Dating Rumors Could Make Clarke Cry

Until this point, Harington and Clarke had neither confirmed nor denied dating one another in the past. But Clarke changed that in July 2017.

During her sit-down with ELLE, she revealed that the rumors were never true.

"[the rumors] literally makes me want to cry, it's so far from the truth," Clarke quipped.

A few sentences later, she revealed her "little rule." She said, "NMA: No More Actors" while also recognizing that her world was filled with them.

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke's Pretend Kiss Was “Gross”

The years-long friends had to finally make out on-screen during Game of Thrones season seven.

Clarke and Harington both were awkward doing all the smooching for the cameras.

The actress admitted that they both started laughing during their first scene together, saying, "Why are you looking at me this strange way and saying these strange lines? You’re my friend!”

Harington, too, had something similar to say about the scenes. He confided to Mirror that the situation seemed "really odd" as they had been best friends for seven years.

It was awkward for his now-wife Leslie, too.

But Harington was able to bring some lightness into the situation. After a kiss scene in front of a green screen in Iceland, he acted as if he was going to throw up.

As if!