For the second season of ‘Game of Thrones,’ HBO’s breakout fantasy epic, Kit Harington spent nearly a month filming on a glacier in Iceland. “I think the coldest day was minus 35 with windchill,” he says, “and there were 500-foot drops next to us all the time.”

Fur and crampons were not what Harington expected after graduating from London’s Central School of Speech & Drama in 2008. “I just hoped for a spear-carrier part in some Royal Shakespeare Company production,” says the 25-year-old. O, ye of little faith: ‘Thrones’ is the kind of TV beast that leads to major film roles (he’s slated to play King Arthur in a $100 million update) and deafening Comic-Con hysteria.

This season, Harington’s Jon Snow will play an increasingly central role. For his part, Harington is just hoping his character survives until the end. “No one on this show is safe,” he says. Even with crampons.

See also: Kit Harington Wears the Essential Casual Wardrobe

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