Matt Lewis, who portrays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, recently attended the London Film and Comic Con. A nice report is now online of the question and answer session with him. He talked about some of the fun (and painful) stuff he and other cast members did while on the set, Neville’s grandmother, the actor who had been cast as Peeves (but was later cut), and more. Here are some excerpts:
Fan: [What’s ] one spell you’d like to know?
Matt: Oh no! [laughs] Is there a spell that can make you invisible or is it just the cloak? Someone help me out! I see people nodding and saying “Yes, it’s just the cloak”. Um, to disarm people? Expelliarmus! Yes, and I can say that one!
Fan: [What’re] some fun things you do off set?Matt: Well, Rupert’s room is the game room. He’s just got everything in there, like Guitar Hero, a pool table, a dart board. You can have a lot of fun in there. Obviously, we can’t do sports because we can get hurt and that’s not good. Also, we have heavy makeup done in some scenes. I had two hours worth of makeup done on me for one scene (blood, etc) and I felt so bad for the woman because it was practically an art piece! So, yeah, another reason why we can’t play sports because we’ll get sweaty and it’ll smear off. Tom and I have some guitar jam sessions, as we both play guitar.
Fan: Do we get to see Neville’s nan? Do you cut off the serpent’s head, as in the book?
Matt: [pauses] [laughs] Well. There is a lady who has been cast as his nan. [pauses again] I have met her on set. [laughs] That’s all I can say. As for the snake, all I can say is that we’ve stuck to the book as much as possible! [grin]Fan: [What’re] you’re first memories and thoughts on set?
Matt: Well, my first memory is my re-call audition with Chris Columbus. It was amazing to get the re-call and go into the studio and onto the Gryffindor common room set. We practiced Neville’s “I can’t let you do this” scene, Chris being Harry, Ron and Hermione. On my first day, they were filming the scene outside the castle for Madam Hooch’s broom flying lessons. I was so nervous and terrified because this was the scene that Neville flies off on the broom, and they were talking about strapping me in and all that. I was only 11 years old, I had only met Dan, Rupert and Emma once so I was so nervous about it all! And it’s only when they say “action” do you realize that everybody is watching you.Fan: If you had the chance, what would you nick off the set?
Matt: Oh, I’ve nicked loads! [grins] [audience laughs] Definitely the Sword of Gryffindor. I’ve been using it [pauses] – oops. [silence] [audience laughs] I’ve been around it. Dan and I have been trying to take it. I almost killed someone with it!Fan: Of all the people you have worked with, who has star struck you the most? What’s the best thing you’ve done as a result of [this] movie?
Matt: Rik Mayall, who was cast as Peeves the poltergeist but was unfortunately cut out. He was just awesome! I was a fan of Drop Dead Fred and a lot of other movies I probably wasn’t supposed to be watching at 11 [years old]. I remember the first time I met him – I was sitting next to him on the set of the first movie and he had asked me “Is this your first movie?” and I had said “Yeah” so he told me to “Get to know the sound guy” and I asked “What? Why?” he just replied “[Shshshsh] just do it. See him over there?” so I went ahead and pointed and asked “What, in there?” only to be snapped at by him “Don’t point!!” [laughs] He was just hilarious, [and] an idiot! He made us laugh on set while we were supposed to be doing the serious scenes [and] nobody could focus because we were all laughing! I met Paul McCartney and watched him play [a concert] and all I could really think was “Oh my God, that’s a Beatle infront of me! Afterwards, I was watching him have a beer and talk about John, George and Ringo. It was just surreal.Fan: Who [of the cast] has the craziest ideas?
Matt: What, like pranks? Well, James, Oliver and Rupert had a game – although I don’t think Rupert liked it much – and once you’re involved, you’re involved forever. They’ll probably kill me for telling you [laughs] They take an object and hit it into the groin as hard as they can – anything from bottles of water, oranges [etc]! Now, you’re a woman so the amount of sheer pain it causes probably wouldn’t be the same – trust me, it hurts. As for me, I’ve only been a part for a brief time before I backed out, but they’ve been playing it for years! It’ horrible! [laughs]
Read the entire thing here.
UPDATE: A few videos of Matt during the event are now online as well.
Source: Matthew-Lewis.com via SS
I’ve posted more of our videos from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter celebrations. This time we have Warwick Davis conducting the Hogwarts Chorus to Something Wicked this way Comes. There’s John Williams conducting the Orlando Philharmonic Symphony. The cast show up in the Knight Bus and the Ford Anglia to help open up Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with some magic and a lot of fireworks! We also have more of the interviews from the press conference with the cast. Check back tomorrow for videos and photos from the public grand opening of the Wizarding World!
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