Sophie Turner Fell Hard For Kit Harington's Game Of Thrones Death Prank

Part of the reason "Game of Thrones" became such a lightning rod of a television show was that no character was safe. When Sean Bean's Ned Stark, ostensibly the show's main character, got beheaded in the penultimate episode of the first season, it signaled to viewers everywhere that this was a show that was not to be missed. Before that moment aired, I had never heard of "Game of Thrones" or George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series. Fantasy is a genre I rarely stick my toe in, and even if I had heard of it, it just went in one ear and out the other. But the fervor around Ned's death was unavoidable and caught my interest. I started the first episode, was immediately hooked, and watched every other episode of the series live.

Throughout the show, prominent characters met their ends: Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, and many more. It was part of the prurient fun of the world of Westeros. However, there was one character death that never seemed to stick in the minds of the viewers, and that was of Kit Harrington's Jon Snow, who was killed in the final minutes of season 5. When it cut to credits, there was the immediate shock factor of those who hadn't read the books, and that was quickly followed by the thought, "He's coming back." No other major character had been resurrected in the show, and yet everyone instinctively knew that this wasn't the end of Jon's story.

Well, almost everyone instinctively knew. One person who was sure that Jon Snow had reached the end of the line was Harrington's fellow cast mate, Sophie Turner. The Sansa Stark actor was certain this was just another casualty of the "Game of Thrones."

"Game of Thrones" tried their best to conceal the fact that Kit Harrington would be back in season 6, to very little success. Harrington took it to a new level and told all of his co-stars that he would be gone from the show too. Those with more experience could understand that Jon staying dead makes very little dramatic sense. But he was able to fool Sophie Turner, and she truly bought it hook, line, and sinker. Speaking with Fox 5 back in 2016, she revealed the lengths to which she wanted to show her appreciation for having worked with Harrington on the show:

"He told us all that, like, he was gone, he was dead, and then he ... Like, I was the only one who believed him, and I wrote him a really long letter about how much I'd enjoyed working with him, and it was really heartfelt, and I was like, 'It's okay, I won't see him again, it won't be embarrassing.' And then the next season he came back and he was like, 'Surprise!' And I was just like, 'Dude, screw you. Like, I don't do that for anyone, you know? I don't give compliments out to anyone, Kit.' So anyway, we all found out in the sixth season."

While writing that letter was ultimately futile, I do think you should tell the people you enjoy working with that you enjoy working with them every once in a while. I bet when Kit Harrington read that letter he was very appreciative of the sentiment, even if its creation was due to a lie. I do appreciate that the first reunion Jon has in season 6 is with Sansa, and this makes that reunion all the sweeter.