Kit Harington Nearly Lost The Role Of Jon Snow To Another Game Of Thrones Actor

Kit Harington's Jon Snow might famously know nothing, but he's also the most instrumental male character on "Game of Thrones." From his meager background and adventures both on and beyond the Wall, his story is one of the biggest hero's journeys on the show until it fatefully combines with Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) destiny-heavy arc.

It's difficult to imagine anyone else defining the character as Harington did. Yet, one of Jon Snow's most bitter in-universe enemies could have wielded the iconic Longclaw sword in Harington's stead.

That person is Iwan Rheon, who rose to prominence as the devious Ramsay Bolton on the show, but who also read for the role of Jon Snow and another prominent character. In 2016, Rheon spoke of his early readings with Interview Magazine. "When the pilot first came it was a general audition," he said. "I think it was for Viserys, Daenerys's brother [who was ultimately played by Harry Lloyd]. And then they were like, 'Can you come back in and read for this other character, Jon Snow?' At the time I didn't know much about it. So I auditioned for Jon Snow, but so did a lot of other people, probably."

Devious, depraved, and sadistic, Ramsay Bolton is arguably the most petrifyingly cruel villain in the eight-season run of "Game of Thrones". Considering this, it may be surprising to learn that Rheon was not only considered to play Ramsay's "Battle of the Bastards" opponent, but that he was actually very close to getting the role. 

"I think it was between me and Kit, which is quite crazy," Rheon told Interview Magazine, also noting that he's completely fine with the way things turned out. "I think they made the right choice; it would've been a very different Jon Snow if I'd played him. I don't think there's much point in dwelling on these kind of things. You're inevitably going to know other actors going up for parts, and you have to be open about it."

Rheon's Ramsay is a monster through and through, but also such a great villain that TVLine argued in favor of his life when "Game of Thrones" Season 6 originally aired. He commits unspeakably evil deeds with a child-like glint of joy in his eye, and much of what makes him scary comes from the actor's unflappably gleeful performance that contributes so much to the character's monstrosity. It's easy to believe that Rheon would have brought some interesting aspects to the table as the closest thing to a straight-laced hero that "Game of Thrones" has to offer. Nevertheless, it's hard to disagree with "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss' decision to unleash him as Ramsay Bolton instead of Jon Snow.