Kit Harington: Blast from the past?

I’m beginning to wonder if Kit Harington is ever going to be cast in a role for this century. Seriously. The latest news for the Game of Thrones and Pompeii star has Kit Harington, opposite Alicia Vikander, in Testament of Youth . The film is based on the autobiography of a woman who lived through World War I and Harington will play the husband. So far this is his most modern day role. He hasn’t even surpassed Downton Abbey on a timeline. Which seems sort of surprising considering the world would never turn down a scruffy, floppy haired, doe-eyed leading man for a plethora of projects. Step aside Adrien Grenier, Kit Harington is your more charming counterpart.

Looking at Harington’s roster, it’s a whole lotta roles that require an absurd amount of costume armory. Even his roles in animated films are from ye olde yesteryear (How to Train Your Dragon 2). But, I suppose that’s what happens when your breakout role is in one of television’s biggest franchises and phenomenons of the past five years, you tend to get a little typecast. What's more, he's also the reason why a good chunk of viewers are able to stomach the violence and not be completely repulsed by Throne ’s ludicrous amount of nudity. You can't help but root for Jon Snow.

Harington is part of the British Invasion that’s been happening in Internet fandom. He joins the ranks of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth — and hey, most of those guys kick it in roles that are somewhat otherwordly as well. Can we only handle their British sensibility in very specific doses? Or is it just that they make our yanks stick out like sore thumbs with less class and wit? Alex Pettyfer and Sam Palladio have managed to be both English and not stuck in strictly British and/or period pieces. So maybe Harington can start to shed the animal skins and chest plates too.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m an Anglophile when it comes to my film and TV preferences along with my ale, comedy, and cheese choices. However, I’d like to see Harrington tackle a role that maybe requires a pair of jeans and a smart jumper instead of a battle ax. Jake Gylenhaal managed to break out of his action/adventure casting and can still return to those roles with plenty of draw. Harington's got quite a lot of magnetism on screen and I’d like to see him in more than a hunka hunka British love. That being said, literally no one is complaining about Kit Harington saving the day. Ever.

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