In anticipation of today’s theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, a scanned article from the Ocala Banner noted: “If the young cast of the ‘Harry Potter’ films received report cards for their school days at Hogwarts, they’d all probably earn the notation ‘ plays well with others’.
This shouldn’t be too surprising considering the elite British actors and actresses like Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) and Ciaran Hinds (Aberforth Dumbledore), as well as the recurring ones such as Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Dame Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), who ‘played’ with them to create the world of Harry Potter onscreen. But the article was actually pointing out how well the trio themselves (Daniel Radcliffe as “Harry”, Rupert Grint as “Ron”, and Emma Watson as “Hermione), along with their co-stars like Matthew Lewis as “Neville”, Tom Felton as “Draco”, and Bonnie Wright as “Ginny”, managed their 11 years of fame from starring in “Hollywood’s biggest fantasy franchise”, specifically the film adaptations of the books about the boy wizard by J.K. Rowling.
“It’s very different doing it in England,” the article quoted Radcliffe, “In America, you’re treated as an actor first and a kid second. Here, you’re very much treated as a kid first and an actor second. In fact, you’re not really treated as an actor. You’re treated as a kid on a film set, which is how it should be, because that’s all you are that point. No one’s an actor at 12.”
The article went on to observe that the parents of the young cast were an asset in guiding their children through the past ten years of filming and handling the celebrity madness.
“We couldn’t have done it without the family support that’s kept all three of them and the supporting cast all lovely, lovely people,” the article quoted David Barron who is one of the producers, “They’ve got very strong families who kept them really strongly grounded.”…
“It was a place that was just us, nobody else,” the article quoted the other producer, David Heyman who commented on the isolated location of Leavesden Studios in the UK where all the Harry Potter films were made, “That has enabled us to sort of cocoon ourselves in an environment, in a way, that I think is a supportive and safe one.”…
So by the time they became young adults, the trio and their young supporting cast developed “strong work ethics” and it was noted by the filmmakers that the stars did adopt some traits of the characters they portrayed:
Like Harry, Radcliffe assumed a solicitous leadership role, sort of a goodwill ambassador on set (which Helen McCrory who portrayed “Narcissa Malfoy” mentions here). Like Hermione, Watson was studious, hurling herself into her education. Like Ron Weasley, Grint had a playful humor and the support of a large family.
According to the article, now that the trio has “graduated” from Hogwarts quite well with the release of the final Harry Potter film, they are having no problems in obtaining adult roles. For Radcliffe is currently on Broadway in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and completed The Woman In Black which will be released in theaters early next year. Watson is continuing her studies with Brown University and appeared in the upcoming film My Week With Marilyn. And Grint worked on the film Comrade.
Click here to read the scanned article which includes a not-often-seen photo of the trio during the time Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was filmed.
Thanks to Lyn for sending us the article!
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