Kit Harington explains why he wants to star in the Harry Potter series

Kit Harington voiced the role of Gilderoy Lockhart even before landing the part in the HBO adaptation.

Kit Harington has explained why he agreed to play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of the Harry Potter television series. According to the Game of Thrones star, he grew up reading J.K. Rowling’s books and had long wanted to join the new adaptation.

Harington is also already familiar with the role. The actor voiced Lockhart in the full-cast audio version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which Audible released in December 2025.

“I have been a Harry Potter fan all my life. I loved these books as a child, and then rediscovered them as an adult and now listen to them every night. They help me fall asleep. I know other people do that too, so these books are very important to me.”

Kit Harington

Harington also highlighted the series format of the new adaptation, which will allow the events of the books to be brought to the screen in greater detail:

“When I found out that Harry Potter was going to be turned into a series, I thought it was the best idea. I love the films, but here the creators will be able to fully flesh out the books. For a book nerd like me, that sounded wonderful. I had been eyeing the project for a long time and really wanted to get into it, and the role I got is simply the best.”

Kit Harington

HBO plans to adapt all seven Harry Potter books. The first season, based on Sorcerer’s Stone, will premiere on December 25, 2026. The second season, dedicated to Chamber of Secrets, is already in production. HBO CEO Casey Bloys previously stated that releasing new seasons every year will not be possible, but the team will try to keep the gaps between them as short as possible.

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