As a gift for the start of the year, the HBO streaming platforms Max and Salto offered Harry Potter fans a special program, bringing together many of the iconic actors of the saga. During 1h30, they remember these ten years of filming and return to the studios which hosted Hogwarts Castle. Here are five anecdotes that we picked up on while watching the show.
Thousands of children participated in the casting
The filming announcement Harry potter had the effect of a bomb in Britain. Thousands of children across the country, absolutely fans of JK Rowling’s books, participated in the casting. Although they had no film experience, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were quickly chosen to play Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The task was more difficult for the main role … The director, Chris Columbus began to despair of finding the one who would play the hero of the saga. “But one evening, din my hotel room in London as I watched David Copperfield, from the BBC, I had an enlightenment “, he explains while scrolling the images of the film, in which Daniel Radcliffe had the leading role. “This is Harry Potter, the kid we’ve been looking for for months.”
Amourette behind the scenes
For ten years, the young actors, students of Hogwarts, grew up together. Very strong friendships were born, especially the one between the three main characters, but also little love stories … Emma Watson says, indeed, having fallen in love with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) when she was shooting the films: “I walked into the room where we were doing our homework. The instruction was given to draw what we thought God looked like, and Tom had drawn a girl with a cap upside down on a skateboard. And I don’t know how to explain it – I just fell in love with him. “
She is obviously not the only one to have fallen in love with another actor. Daniel Radcliffe admits to having also fallen for Helena Bonham Carter, 23 years his senior. The actress, hilarious, revealed especially for the show a letter that the young man had written to her at the end of the shooting: “Dear HBC, it has been a pleasure to be your co-star and assistant, in the sense that I always ended up having your coffee. I love you and wish I had been born 10 years earlier. could’ve had a chance. Lots of love and thanks for being so cool. “
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) was an absolute fan of Gary Oldman (Sirius Black)
The shooting ofHarry potter brought together Britain’s biggest actors, such as Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman. A chance for these children who were just starting their acting career. “The first one in front of whom I was in awe of admiration was Gary (Oldman) “, recalls Daniel Radcliffe, of the interpreter of Sirius Black. “Oh yes, that’s right”, reacts Emma Watson, sitting next to him, reminding him of the warning he had given her during the filming: “Emma, you have to be cool. It’s Gary Oldman. It’s very important. You have to be cool.”
This special episode was also a way to pay a nice tribute to the actors ofHarry potter who have died in recent years. Among them, the actress Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), who died last April of cancer, or Alan Rickman (Snape) died of the same disease in 2016.
Alan Rickman was the only one to know the end of the saga
When Harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone was shot, in 2001, only the first four volumes of the saga were released. It was not until 2007 that the seventh and final volume appeared. Until then, the cast had no idea how the story was going to end. All except one. “Alan (Rickman) knew her but he didn’t say anything”, Daniel Radcliffe tells Gary Oldman. “He said to JK Rowling very early on: ‘I think I need to know what’s going on.” A way for the interpreter of Rogue to play his character with more accuracy and subtlety.
Oliver Phelps broke director Mike Newell’s ribs
In one of the scenes ofHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Weasley twins had to fight as they’d just been kicked out of the Triwizard Tournament because of their nonsense. Mike Newell, the director, found that the actors put too much delicacy in their bickering. He approached the brothers and asked if any of them wanted to fight him. “Like a jerk I said ‘okay'”, says Oliver Phelps, one of the two brothers. A demonstration that turned into a disaster. “I was plump and I was in my sixties at the time. I should have abstained”, comments the director.“I cracked several ribs. I suffered martyrdom. But the good thing is that I made a fool of myself and everyone was happy.”