Game Of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie have brought their relationship back into the acting world for a campaign video which challenges high street banks on their ties with fossil fuel companies.
English actor Harington and Scottish actress Leslie, who met while starring together in HBO’s fantasy series and later married in real life, initially appear to be playing a couple attending relationship counselling in the clip.
However, as they bicker over why Harington never publicly posts about his relationship with Leslie, it is later revealed they are portraying an oil company and a high street bank.
In the campaign video, Leslie’s character of the oil company says: “Whenever he speaks publicly or posts about anything on social media, he acts as if he’s a martyr.
“I mean, he believes that he’s saving the world. He is constantly boasting about the millions that he’s spending on green energy green…
“He will tell everyone that he now loves renewables ‘Oh look at me and my pretty little windmills’ and then he turns around and tells me that he loves me. Which is it?”
Harington, playing the high street bank, replies: “Obviously it’s you. It’s always been you”, before they passionately kiss.
The Hidden Relationship video which was directed by Ben Strebel for climate finance campaign Make My Money Matter, founded by screenwriter Richard Curtis, aims to “further pressure UK high street banks to stop financing fossil fuel expansion”.
Harington and Leslie said in a joint statement: “When Richard contacted us to be part of this, we thought he was offering us free couples therapy.
“Alas, no such luck, he was bringing to our attention something we could agree on.
“This is an incredibly important awareness campaign about the dangerous relationship between our banks and the fossil fuel industry.
“But it is more than just awareness… People really care about this – and it’s time for banks to listen and act.”
Curtis added: “Our largest high-street banks are in a dangerous relationship with the fossil fuel industry – and it’s time we all knew about it.
“In 2022 alone, household names like Barclays and HSBC poured billions into the fossil fuel sector, ignoring clear warnings that new oil and gas fields risk causing catastrophic climate change.
“Such activity is not only bad for people and planet, it also runs against the wishes of millions of UK citizens who want their money tackling the climate crisis, not fuelling the fire.
“That’s why we’ve made this new film – to highlight the toxic relationship between our banks and the fossil fuel industry, and help UK bank account holders to make sure their money matters.
“The climate crisis is worsening, getting more urgent every day, and it’s time for banks to use their enormous power to build a better world.
“To do this HSBC, Barclays, Santander, Lloyds and NatWest must follow the science, listen to their customers, and immediately stop financing fossil fuel expansion.”
Curtis is also the award-winning British screenwriter behind classic rom-coms including Love Actually and Notting Hill – as well as co-writing sitcoms Blackadder and Mr Bean.
He also co-founded the charity Comic Relief with comedian Sir Lenny Henry in 1985.
