Sophie Turner says kissing Kit Harington in 'The Dreadful' was worse than filming with rats and cockroaches

Highlights:

• Sophie Turner revealed kissing Kit Harington in their new gothic horror The Dreadful was “vile.”
• The actors spent eight seasons as siblings Sansa Stark and Jon Snow on Game of Thrones.
• Turner, who is also a producer on the film, suggested Harington for the role despite their sibling-like bond.
• The film has yet to receive an official release date but features Turner, Harington, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laurence O’Fuarain.

Sophie Turner has admitted that kissing her Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington for their new gothic horror film The Dreadful was far from romantic. Speaking during her recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the actress said the scene was so uncomfortable that both she and Harington were “retching.”

Turner, who played Sansa Stark across eight seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones, explained that while she and Harington have not shared the screen since 2019, their sibling-like relationship remained intact. That history made their romantic scenes in The Dreadful especially challenging.

Sophie Turner says kissing Kit Harington in The Dreadful was a vile experienceGetty Images

Why Sophie Turner cast Kit Harington despite the challenge

Turner is not only starring in The Dreadful but also serving as a producer. When writer-director Natasha Kermani asked who she envisioned as the male lead, Turner immediately thought of her former on-screen brother.

“I sent the script to Kit, and he came back saying, ‘Yeah, I’d love to, but this is going to be really weird, Soph,’” Turner told Meyers. At first, she didn’t understand his hesitation. “Then I went through the script again and it’s just kiss, kiss, sex, kiss. And suddenly I realised, oh right, that’s my brother.”

Despite the discomfort, both agreed that the script was strong enough to take on the challenge.

Sophie Turner describes filming the ‘vile’ kiss

For Turner and Harington, the first scene they had to shoot together was a kiss, which proved to be even more awkward than they anticipated. “We put it out of our minds, and then when it came to shooting, we were both retching. It was vile. Honestly, the worst,” Turner said.

She even compared the experience to a scene in her upcoming thriller Trust, in which she had to share a room with cockroaches and rats crawling over her. “And kissing Kit was still worse,” she admitted.

Sophie Turner reveals she and Kit Harington were retching while filming kiss sceneGetty Images

What is The Dreadful about?

Set during the 15th century amid the Wars of the Roses, The Dreadful follows Anne, played by Turner, who lives with her mother-in-law Morwen on the outskirts of society. Their fragile existence is disrupted when a man from Anne’s past, portrayed by Harington, returns and sets off a dangerous chain of events.

The film also stars Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Laurence O’Fuarain, and Jonathan Howard. While an official release date has not yet been confirmed, the gothic horror has already drawn attention thanks to Turner and Harington’s casting.

The Dreadful Poster IMDB

Turner and Harington’s lasting Game of Thrones bond

Both actors became household names through Game of Thrones, where they were introduced as members of the Stark family. Although later seasons revealed Jon Snow’s Targaryen lineage, viewers still saw Sansa and Jon as siblings, making their romantic scenes in The Dreadful all the more different.

Turner herself acknowledged how strange it was, even joking to Vogue earlier this year, “Sorry guys, it’s weird for all of us.”

For fans of the HBO series, the reunion of Sansa Stark and Jon Snow on screen is already generating curiosity. Whether audiences see the chemistry or share Turner’s discomfort remains to be seen when The Dreadful finally premieres.