Reuniting on screen years after captivating audiences as siblings on Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner and Kit Harington are proving that some bonds are difficult — and hilarious — to shake.
The longtime friends, who portrayed Sansa Stark and Jon Snow in the hit HBO fantasy drama, now play lovers in the new Gothic horror film The Dreadful. And while their on-screen chemistry may be convincing, behind the scenes, the experience was anything but romantic.
From Winterfell to Awkward Kisses
In a behind-the-scenes clip shared by Entertainment Tonight, Turner, 29, and Harington, 39, are seen sharing a kiss in character before immediately breaking into playful retching once the director calls “cut.” The crew’s laughter fills the set as the actors dramatically pretend to be sick — a humorous nod to their long-standing “sibling” dynamic.
Turner later addressed the unusual transition during a July 2025 interview with Vogue, jokingly apologising to fans of Game of Thrones.
“It’s really weird for all of us,” she admitted, referring to the shift from playing Stark siblings to romantic partners.
Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers in August 2025, the mother of two elaborated on just how uncomfortable the intimate scenes felt.
“We were both retching,” she said with a laugh. When she first read the script, she recalled seeing repeated stage directions — “kiss, kiss, sex, kiss, sex” — and thinking, “Oh, shoot… that’s my brother.”
A Different Kind of Embarrassment
Harington, meanwhile, revealed that his discomfort stemmed from a more practical challenge. Speaking to E! News in November 2025, he joked about the height difference between the two actors.
“It was slightly embarrassing, having to get on an apple box to kiss her because she’s about a foot taller than me,” he said. “But other than that, my dignity was pretty intact.”
Despite the awkwardness, the pair’s camaraderie — forged over nearly a decade on Game of Thrones — remains strong. The cast of the series has largely stayed close since the show concluded in 2019.
Harington has been married to former co-star Rose Leslie since 2018, and the couple share two children.
A Reunion Years in the Making
Interestingly, Turner was instrumental in bringing Harington into The Dreadful. In a September 2024 interview with The Times, she revealed that she personally suggested him for the role.
“They were trying to find someone for that role, and I was like, ‘You can’t not have Kit,’” she said. “It’s set around the time of the Wars of the Roses, so we’ll probably be floating about in robes on clifftops again.”
The film, written and directed by Natasha Kermani, also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Laurence O’Fuarain, and Jonathan Howard. Set against a haunting historical backdrop, the Gothic horror drama blends romance, suspense and psychological tension.
The Dreadful opens in select theatres and on digital platforms Friday, February 20.
A Playful Evolution
While audiences may still associate Turner and Harington with the Stark family of Winterfell, their latest collaboration demonstrates both their professional range and their enduring friendship. What began as an epic sibling alliance in one of television’s most iconic dramas has evolved into a daring on-screen romance — complete with laughter, apple boxes and a few mock gag reflexes along the way.
For fans, it may be strange. For Turner and Harington, it is simply another chapter in a shared journey that continues to surprise — and entertain.
