Just like in the movies: Kit Harington and Rose Leslie are lovers in the hit series "Game of Thrones." And now the two are getting married in real life.
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Despite its violence, the notoriously successful television series "Game of Thrones" has also led to some true-life romance: On Wednesday, actors Kit Harington and Rose Leslie announced their engagement in the Times.
The couple met in 2012 while shooting the HBO series. In the fantasy saga, Harington plays commander Jon Snow; Leslie took the role of his lover Ygritte up until her character's death in the fourth season.
The two 30-year-old actors first announced their romance in April 2016 when they appeared arm-in-arm at an awards ceremony. "If you find someone already attractive and then play a couple in the show, it's very easy to fall in love," said Harington in the Italian Vogue.
It is unclear whether anyone famous may have influenced the engagement. On the "Late Late Show with James Corden," last June, Harington sat next to Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman when he talked about moving in with Rose Leslie. "Will you get married?" Kidman asked. Harington appeared stunned by the question and responded vaguely, "Step by step."
The penultimate season of the medieval fantasy series based on George R. R. Martin's novels, in which several family tribes fight for the iron throne of the continent of Westeros, has just begun in the US and Germany.
The seventh season broke viewing records in the US. Shooting for the final season will start in fall; it is scheduled for release in 2018 or 2019.
Intrigue, sex and dragons in 'Game of Thrones'
Lannisters against the Starks, Baratheons versus Targaryens. Never heard these names before? If you want to catch up on "Game of Thrones" before the final season begins, here's a high-speed, spoiler-filled review.
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The northern warrior
Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the lord commander of the Night's Watch, was stabbed and left to die by his own team at the end of the fifth season — but he survived. In the fictional "Game of Thrones" world of Westeros, the Night's Watch defends the seven kingdoms against supernatural dangers that lurk beyond The Wall to the north. The season 7 finale confirmed that Jon was born Aegon Targaryen.
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The strong princess
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), long believed to be Jon Snow's half-sister, has already suffered quite a bit in her short life. She was forced to watch as her fiancé executed her own father. Then, their marriage was dissolved and Sansa was married to another member of the ruling Lannister family. It's not easy being a princess in Westeros…
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The angry girl
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is Sansa's little sister. After the death of their father, she fled the royal court and disguised herself as a boy. Since then, she's been wandering through Westeros with one thing in mind: revenge for her father's death. Meanwhile, she's fallen in with a sect and gone blind. Sometimes, "Games of Thrones" can seem like a soap opera with medieval costumes.
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The evil queen mother
What would a soap opera be without a mean stepmother? In this case it's not a stepmother, but a queen mother named Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She's a master of intrigue, and goes to all ends to have influence over the Lannister clan. For her immoral behavior, she's was sent to the dungeon and got a punishing makeover. She then had to sport a modern short hairdo against her will.
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The charming twin
One of Cersei's ugly secrets is her incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). He's the father of her three children, a fact that has always been officially denied by the palace. Jamie is the commander of the Kingsguard and keeps out of the political intrigue in Westeros. He's nevertheless a villain — but a charming one.
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The witty outsider
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is Cersei's and Jamie's unpopular younger brother. The wine-loving dwarf is the secret star of the series. Tyrion compensates for his physical shortcomings with his wit, and "Game of Thrones" fans like to quote his wisecracks.
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The powerful mother of dragons
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) comes from the old dynasty of the Targaryens. She helped three dragons hatch — the first for centuries in Westeros — and aims to use them to recapture the throne for her bloodline. In season seven, she ends up having sex with Jon Snow: neither of them are aware that Jon is actually her nephew.
