She played one of the strongest female characters in Games of Thrones, who is set to marry her former co-star and long-term boyfriend Kit Harington. But who is Rose Leslie? Here at HELLO! Online, we have rounded up everything you need to know about the Scottish actress, Kit's fiancee and future wife.
Rose played wildling Ygritte in Game of Thrones
Who is Rose Leslie?
Rose - full name Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie - was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and is the third of five children. She was raised in a sprawling Scottish castle, Lickleyhead Castle, which is located in the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside. Speaking about her fairytale upbringing, Rose previously told InStyle: "It was an idyllic childhood. My parents would send us out for the day, we had lots of freedom - we were running around, climbing trees and exploring. Going back is still an escape." She was educated in Aberdeen and Somerset before attending the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). "I couldn't get into university to study drama because my A-levels were so bad, so I decided drama school was the next step," she told the publication. "I think my family were kind of taken by surprise - they were like, 'Oh this isn't just a phase.'"
RELATED: You can stay in GoT star Rose Leslie's childhood castle home!
Her romance with fiancé Kit Harington
The actress met Kit on the set Game of Thrones when they played onscreen lovers. She became a huge hit with fans for playing Jon Snow's wildling lover Ygritte in the HBO fantasy epic series. The couple, who were reportedly dating on and off since 2012, but the officially went public with their relationship at the 2016 Olivier Awards in London. The lovebirds confirmed their engagement on Tuesday in the marriages section of The Times newspaper. "The engagement is announced between Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire," the announcement read.
Kit and Rose met on the set of Game of Thrones
STORY: Kit Harington reveals details about his engagement
Shortly after the news of the engagement broke, Kit appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show where he opened up about the proposal. "We did a little announcement in The Times," he shared. "I did have some plans to do it, I was going to string up some lights in some trees and do all the romantic stuff but we were in the country and we were under this beautiful night sky and had a log fire burning and red wine and I blew my load early. Sorry that's a really bad expression!" The actor, 30, also revealed that he asked the show's producer to arrange filming the next season around his wedding day. "I rang him up and I said, 'I'm getting married and it’s your fault actually,'" he joked. "I think for the final season he is so stressed that he's reached that peaceful level. I was like, 'You need to factor in a Game of Thrones wedding by the way.' They [the cast] have all got to be there so the whole thing has got to shut down."
What else has Rose appeared in?
Although many will know for her playing wildling Ygritte in GoT, period drama fans will remember that the actress played beloved housemaid Gwen Dawson in the first series of Downton Abbey in 2010. She also landed the main role as Maia Rindell in The Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight and starred as DS Emma Lane alongside Idris Elba in Luther.
