NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� jumped at the chance to sport what he calls a 鈥減roper porn 鈥榮tache" to play a drug-running killer in 鈥淏lood for Dust.鈥�
The actor 鈥� who 鈥� stars in the new film alongside Scoot McNairy and Josh Lucas. It hits theaters and digital this week.
Harington, 37, will also play a role in the third season of HBO鈥檚 finance drama 鈥淚ndustry,鈥� expected to air later this year. He spoke to The Associated Press recently about trusting directors, joining the shows cast and how his facial hair helped explain his character.
Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: The quiet, ominous tone of this movie was carried through well. How did you know the script would translate the way it did?
HARINGTON: I think a lot of this is a sort of personality gauge business where you meet the director and you hear his or her vision for it. And with (director Rod Blackhurst) I definitely felt that I was in safe hands, and it turned out I was. He had really thought this thing out. I saw that and felt that he was going to be able to deliver on what I thought was a classic story, but quite a well-told sort of American neo-Western.
AP: Your large mustache definitely added to the character of Ricky. Was that your choice?
HARINGTON: Yeah, I think that鈥檚 kind of Ricky to have a proper porn 'stache. It鈥檚 a statement thing and it says everything about him. That he鈥檚 sort of all appearance and show. It says quite a lot about the character. I knew there鈥檚 gonna be very few times I was going to be able to have a handlebar mustache in something, so I jumped at the chance.
AP: The film exposes an underworld of criminals. Did that attract you to the role?
HARINGTON: We all, in life, have glimpsed through the curtain and seen this world. I鈥檓 always sort of fascinated by what a character is addicted to. What drives him? In some ways, Scoot鈥檚 character is not innocent in this movie. He gets drawn back to his old addictions and the art of this movie, and the skill of it that Rod manages to get across, is that we kind of forgive him all of that. Because we look this way at Ricky. We look this way at these guys. But we forgive this guy for what he鈥檚 doing and his part of that.
AP: Ricky is a criminal, but Cliff (McNairy's character) has also been disloyal and skirted the law. Did you enjoy the tension between what is right and who鈥檚 to judge?
HARINGTON: Ricky is the hero in his own movie, and I think he鈥檚 the one who sees it in this guy. He鈥檚 like, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not so different from me. Don鈥檛 pretend that you are. Just come with me and enjoy the ride.鈥� We spoke about that a lot, like Ricky is dragging him back into this. Back into this story, back into this world, because he鈥檚 like, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get to get out. I鈥檓 going to make sure we go for one last kick-ass ride in this, and I鈥檓 going to take you with me.鈥� It鈥檚 that kind of mentality.
AP: Can you talk about your role on the new season of 鈥淚ndustry鈥�?
HARINGTON: I love that show. I kind of came into it as a bit of a fanboy. And that鈥檚 a strange thing for me, because I鈥檇 always been in 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� where people would come in and they鈥檇 be fans of the show. This time I was coming in as this older actor and as a fan of their show. It was really exciting. It鈥檚 just brilliant. The first episode is just mesmerizing and you鈥檙e straight back in it. I just think it鈥檚 one of the most unique, interesting, tonally exciting pieces out there.
AP: Are you watching (created by 鈥淭hrones鈥� creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) 鈥� because those are your guys?
HARINGTON: I鈥檝e watched the first two episodes now and I鈥檓 thoroughly enjoying it. I really am. It took me all of my courage to sit down and watch other people speaking their words. It took a certain amount of courage to do that in a weird sort of way. But once I was in that, I was like, 鈥淥h, these lucky actors, these brilliant writers!鈥� and I love it.
Brooke Lefferts, The Associated Press
