“Game of Thrones” star Kristian Nairn revealed how WoW (World of Warcraft) helped him overcome drug addiction.

09 Oct 2024

~9 MIN

WoW News

“Game of Thrones” star Kristian Nairn revealed how WoW (World of Warcraft) helped him overcome drug addiction.

A couple of weeks ago, the book “Beyond the Throne: Epic Journeys, Enduring Friendships, and Surprising Tales” was released. In it, British actor and DJ Kristian Nairn, best known for his role as Hodor in the famous series Game of Thrones, shares insights into his personal life and offers fascinating stories from the set.

In his memoir, Nairn admits that during a challenging period in his life, he became heavily addicted to drugs, prescription medications, energy drinks, and alcohol, which severely affected both his personal and professional life, as well as his physical and mental health. He found a way to overcome his addictions through World of Warcraft (WoW), a game he has been a huge fan of for many years.

Recently, the authors of Polygon conducted an extensive interview with Kristian about his book and his life, and we translated an excerpt focused on his gaming interests and his connection to World of Warcraft in particular.

KRISTIAN NAIRN Actor

Game of Thrones Star Kristian Nairn Shares How WoW Helped Him Overcome Drug Addiction

For Game of Thrones fans, the most appealing part of Kristian Nairn’s memoir “Beyond the Throne: Epic Journeys, Enduring Friendships, and Surprising Tales” will likely be the behind-the-scenes stories. From playing the towering, almost mute servant Hodor to the character’s tragic death, Nairn was involved in the show throughout its run, sharing numerous captivating and sometimes shocking stories about his journey from a supporting actor to worldwide fame in such a demanding and secretive show. These tales are interwoven with reflections on his DJ career, but for gamers, the biggest surprise in the book will likely be when he credits World of Warcraft with helping him kick his near-fatal drug addiction.

Nairn describes a period in his life when he befriended a reclusive addict whose severe drug habit influenced Nairn. He used amphetamines and cocaine to stay awake during long DJ sets, ecstasy to enhance the club experience, and codeine to ease the shakes from other drugs—all while drinking heavily. One night, as he recalls, he consumed “up to thirty” Red Bull and vodka cocktails.

Nairn could see his physical and mental health deteriorating, as well as his professional life. After a disastrous experience with ketamine, he isolated himself in a bungalow at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Ireland and played WoW “from sunrise to sunset” while detoxing from drugs.

In the book, Nairn delves into his World of Warcraft character preferences, explaining why he always chooses non-human avatars (“Who in their right mind wants to enter a game looking like an accountant?”) and his fighter class choices (because he secretly wants to “take on the world”). He also discusses what the game gives him, from dopamine rushes to friends around the world. Naturally, Polygon decided to chat with Nairn about his relationship with gaming.

Polygon: What kind of gamer are you? Do you play games like World of Warcraft more for the story, achievements, escapism, or something else?

Kristian Nairn: I’m a collector and a hoarder. So in Warcraft, what appeals to me most are the mounts, gear, and transmogrification—changing your character’s outfit to look however you want. I always aim for those rare mounts, all that kind of stuff.

I get too anxious in PvP. I become terrible. My friend Jake and I played PvP together, and we had to stop, or our friendship would’ve ended. We’d have killed each other. I get too nervous. That’s why I never play as a healer. I have a lot of respect for healers and tanks—they carry all the responsibility. I just sit there going “pew-pew.” But the game has hooked me so much over the years. It’s amazing. I strive to get everything I want in-game, and I think I approach life the same way.

Is there a particular battle, scene, or quest that stands out to you? What do you think no World of Warcraft player should miss?

I mean, it’s literally a whole world, as you know. I remember playing the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, and there was an event at the Gates of Anger that really moved me. It was a big moment that led to the Undercity invasion, and it involved characters you’d known for years. It was so important. It hit me hard, and I thought, “My God, I love this game.” I had never felt such emotions from a game before, where you become so attached to the characters.

The characters and story are very important to me. Lately, I admit, the story has been a bit tarnished. But as someone who has worked with scripts, I know how hard it is to rewrite and combine stories when the world keeps expanding. But some of these characters are as well-written as Tolkien’s characters. That might get me into trouble, but I think they’re really well done, and that’s what I love the most.

Is there a character that stands out to you as especially well-written or significant?

My favorite character is very controversial. Let me explain: people say she was ruined in one of the recent expansions, but I still love her—even though she’s done some very questionable things. Sylvanas Windrunner, she kind of committed genocide. There were strange decisions made about her, but I still love her. I even had Patty Mattson, who voices her, record a greeting for my voicemail. Sylvanas is on my voicemail—that’s how much I love her! She’s my absolute favorite. I also liked Tirion Fordring, who’s now dead, although no one stays dead forever in Warcraft. It’s like Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films.

Your story of using WoW to overcome drug addiction is quite special.

I don’t know about “special,” but in terms of the scale of damage, video game addiction is on a completely different level from drug addiction. Though I know people have lost friends and partners over Warcraft. I definitely withdrew from the world using the game. But at that point, I needed it. I needed to escape for a while, and I used the game for that. Now I’m in a much healthier place—and I think the evolution of the game allows you to play it in a healthier way since you can do everything faster.

You’re still an actor and a DJ, traveling the world on tour, with many projects. How do you manage to balance gaming with such a busy and in-demand lifestyle?

I have a very small gaming laptop that I always take with me, and I always bring this. [Shows Nostromo keyboard.] I always get stopped at security! People ask, “What the hell is that?” I bind all my spells to these keys on the Nostromo gaming keyboard, so I don’t have to use the regular keyboard.

I try to bring as many of my hobbies with me when I travel. I’m about to leave for almost a month, and I’ll definitely bring my laptop so I can play Warcraft. I love calligraphy, so I’ll take a couple of notebooks and brush markers with me. I bring as many of my hobbies as I can because when you’re in a hotel room for almost a month, there are days when you think, “What should I do? Maybe I’ll build a pillow fort in the Hilton?” [Laughs]

Yes, it’s one of the hardest parts of being on the road. I love my job, I love being away from home, I love meeting people. But sometimes I think, “I could be at home right now,” you know? I could be with my dogs or my mom. But obviously, that’s not always possible. So yes, I love my job, don’t get me wrong, but it can be lonely. And Warcraft helps with that. Because I’m not just playing a game; my friends are there, and I can talk to them. I log into Discord, and suddenly, I’m home.

Do people in World of Warcraft know who you are? Do fans approach you?

I’m selective—only my friends know who I am. In the beginning, though, on American servers, I didn’t hide who I was. And it drove me a bit crazy. It was just a wall of purple text, people asking me questions. It’s lovely, but Warcraft is my escape from reality. I’ve always tried to keep it that way. So I’m very cautious in-game. But, you know, I’m not Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise.

Has any other game ever had the same impact on you?

I’ve been a gamer all my life. I’ve played since the days of Atari. I had an Atari, then moved to the Atari ST and Amiga, then to consoles. I’ve gone through them all. If I had kept all my consoles, my house would look like a gaming museum.

One game I got really hooked on was Jet Set Radio Future. It’s a fantastic game with an amazing soundtrack—kind of industrial, Japanese-style, like Cibo Matto and things like that. It was super cool. You spray-paint polygonal graffiti all over central Tokyo. Very cool.

Pac-Man was a turning point in games. A turning point in relationships, actually, because my mom got so addicted to that game that I had to sell my computer because I couldn’t get her out of my bedroom. I’d say, “Please stop playing. I want to play now. My friends are waiting!” And she’d be like, “No.” She was totally addicted. So I had to break up my mom and Pac-Man. The first Gran Turismo was also a defining moment in the genre, leading to games like Forza. I love a good racing game. And I ignore Mario because everyone talks about those games.

But before World of Warcraft, the game I probably played most was Street Fighter 2. I was a huge fan of Chun-Li. I don’t know how that looks nowadays, in this era of appropriation, but back then, I loved playing as Chun-Li. Anyone bold enough to do an upside-down spinning kick is someone I want in my book. But World of Warcraft has to be number one, just because I’ve played it for 20 years.