NEW DELHI: If Kit Harington had to draw any similarity between his famous fantasy drama "Game of Thrones" and new show "Industry", set in world of finance, it would be the kind of sadistic and horrific characters they both explore.
The British actor found fame playing the brooding yet incredibly heroic Jon Snow in "Game of Thrones", a show filled with famous villains such as Joffrey Baratheon, Cersei Lannister, Ramsay Bolton and Walder Frey.
In "Industry", the actor navigates the murky world of international finance, populated by ruthless characters, as as Henry Muck, an aristocrat and struggling entrepreneur.
"I think that certainly with the 'Game of Thrones' comparison, (they're) full of pretty horrific people. They're both HBO shows and I think HBO revels in investigating very difficult, troubled, pretty sadistic characters... That would be the main similarity. Other than that I can't see many," Harington said in an international roundtable interview.
Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, "Industry" follows a group of young graduates competing for permanent positions at a top investment bank in London.
Since its debut, the British-American series has earned critical acclaim for its unflinching exploration of how power, money and ego shape personal and professional relationships as well as the cutthroat corporate environment.
Harington, also known for featuring in movies such as "Pompeii", "Testament of Youth" and "Testament of Youth", boarded the popular HBO show in the third season and returned for the fourth chapter, currently streaming in India on JioHotstar.
Asked whether he joined the show because it provided an interesting contrast with his other popular role in "Game of Thrones", Harington said he believes Muck was a kind of "fascinating guy to try and empathise with".
"A completely blinkered privilege that he can't see himself. He finds it impossible, like all of us do I think, to see who he is in the world. And the problems that come with that. And then place him in the world of 'Industry' with all of its issues and problematic characters. I thought he was a great person to kind of investigate. And also one that I had some knowledge of.
"I kind of thought I knew people like this guy. But more than anything, I wanted to try and like him, even though he's on the surface the type of guy that you would really dislike on many levels," he said in response to a question from PTI.
In the fourth season, Harington is joined by actor Max Minghella, "The Handmaid's Tale" alum who essays the role of tech founder Whitney Halberstram, a morally corrupt technocrat.
Minghella said the fourth season delves deeply into Halberstram’s background.
"What was interesting for me playing Whitney was how much I related to Henry (Harington's character)... When you're an actor, you normally relate to the character you're playing the most... (But) Whitney's quite intangible in a lot of ways. So it was a really interesting situation for me where the character I related to the most was the character I was working with," he said.
Harington said the advantage of shows like "Game of Thrones", "Industry" and "The Handmaid's Tale" is that one gets to work with an ensemble cast.
"It reminded me of 'Game of Thrones', being in a room full of people having a good time, enjoying the work they're doing and knowing they're doing something that's really satisfying and fun. And sometimes when you're on a film with like four actors and you see only two of them, that can feel quite lonely," he said.
Minghella agreed and said Harington was "the ultimate scene partner" for him on the series.
"Kit, who I'd never worked with before, was an absolute joy to be around. Sort of the ultimate scene partner. And that brought a whole other level to the days for me where I felt like we could really push things further because of our personal relationship and just how good he is. It's a story as old as time. But when you work with people who are better than you, it always brings your level up," he added.
"Industry", which has been renewed for its fifth and final season, will wrap up its fourth season on Sunday. The show also stars Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Sagar Radia, Conor MacNeill and David Jonsson.