Harry Potter secrets that surprised even die-hard fans

It is a feeling of disbelief that over two decades have passed since ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ came to the screen, making cinematic history. During, and since their classic reunion in 2021, secrets have emerged about the film franchise that have surprised even the most committed of fans.

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) certainly thinks so. He reflected on the passing of the years: “It’s quite surreal. It doesn’t feel like much time has passed, it doesn’t feel like we’ve earned a reunion yet… I have had kidney stones and a baby, so time has obviously passed. I feel my age.”

Photo: Still from 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts' - Warner Bros Pictures

As well as a look back at the movie franchise, we are sharing some interesting behind-the-scenes insight into what life was like working on the film series with some secrets that have crawled out of the woodwork, taking a look at the best and juiciest ones.

The director reveals that his daughter, Eleanor “convinced me to read the books after I refused three times. Once Prisoner of Azkaban came out, I said, ‘Ok I’ll read these, finally,’ and then immediately I saw the movies. I just saw them.”

Photo: Still from 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts' - Warner Bros Pictures

The casting of Harry Potter himself was a tough one and Radcliffe was chosen after being seen in ‘David Copperfield’. Watson and Grint were picked and a connection between the three was evident. Then their world was about to change. Radcliffe was told that the casting announcement would be made that afternoon and that the media would be extremely prominent, even outside their homes – “So you can’t go home”.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

A lot of patience was needed to work with young child stars who were “hyperactive and excitable”. According to Tom Felton, director Chris Columbus “basically just let us be kids,” saying they never felt like they were really working.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Felton admitted in 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts' that he had no idea who these legendary British actors walking around the set were, saying he had no clue the “cream of the British acting industry” were. In fact, he said of the late actor who played Dumbledore in the first two movies, “I thought Richard Harris worked here as a tour guide for a while.”

Emma Watson commented that they all spent so much time together in a conversation she had with the late Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid). He cemented the intense feeling of ‘family’ on the set, saying “I spent more time with you than my own children.”

The sets were overwhelming for many of the actors. Radcliffe remembers, “One of my favourite moments on set ever is the moment when all the floating candles started burning through the ropes that tied them to the ceiling and just started falling around the Great Hall.” He expressed his gratitude of being part of something so incredible.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The feelings of family and togetherness was abundant. But, for Tom Felton, working with Jason Isaacs was a step too close to one of the hated families in children’s literature. Felton said, that Isaacs “turned into the most unfriendly, horrible person I’ve ever met” when in character as his stern father, Lucius Malfoy. “I adored Tom from the second I met him. He was always just the biggest sweetheart,” Isaacs said of Felton.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

There was one moment that Isaac recalls making Tom Felton cry. It ended up being a deleted scene but the acting was very, very real. He had hit Felton’s hand with his cane after mini Malfoy touched something he shouldn’t have. There were, in fact, sharp parts to the cane which did actually cause Tom Felton physical pain, making him cry. In response, Felton had comforted the actor by telling him it was good for the scene. “Real Jekyll and Hyde that one,” Felton joked of Isaacs

The cast were growing up and were no longer to be treated as child actors. Cuarón asked each of them to write an essay in character to help explain and understand the roles - as they, of course, would know them the best. “He was the first one that assigned us homework,” Watson remembers of the director. Grint explained that Cuarón asked them each to write an essay in character to help explain and help him understand the roles since they would know them the best.

So the homework was set and Grint said Emma Watson loved the task, “Emma writes like 12 pages that are beautifully written.” Radcliffe produced about half a page of character study and “Rupert didn’t deliver anything,” Cuarón said. “He said, ‘Well I thought that Ron wouldn’t do it.” “Luckily Alfonso saw that it was very in character for me not to have done it,” Grint smiled.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The late great, Alan Rickman, had actually got all the inside information from Rowling early on about Snape’s ultimate motivation and he never told a soul. Radcliffe told a surprised Gary Oldman that “he very very early said to Jo, he was like, ‘I think I need to know what happens’”. Rickman never even explained to the director why he was portraying the character like he was. When questioned, he replied with “I’ll tell you later”.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Director of ‘The Goblet of Fire,’ Mike Newell, started treating the children like adults and that was the change from child to teen star. Newell brought a new bound of energy to the franchise and, while trying to instil it in the Phelps twins, he actually cracked a few ribs. He tumbled to the floor to show them how to ‘attack’ the fighting scened and immediately regretted it. There was a lighter-side to the disaster, however. Newell said, “I had made a complete twit of myself and everyone felt better.”

The 2007 adolescents were in their “peak hormone” stage for the 'Goblet of Fire' film. The young adults were now seeing everyone in a new light and Radcliffe was nervous. “You had a bunch of hormonal teenagers anyway and then bringing two massive groups of new people, all of them purposely hot for the film … It did not take a huge acting stretch for me to tap into my awkward nerdy teenage side,” he said.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Emma Watson revealed she had, in fact, “fallen in love” with her co-star, Tom Felton.“I walked into the room where we were having tutoring,” Watson said. “The assignment that had been given was to draw what you thought God looked like, and Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard.” That seemed to do it for her. “And I just don’t know how to say it—I just fell in love with him. I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, it was number seven, and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day.

“He [Felton] was three years above me and so for him, he was like, ‘You’re like my little sister.’” “Emma and I have always loved each other, really,” Felton said, although the kind of love she was looking for was not reciprocated. “I think I was in the hair and makeup chair and someone said, something along the lines of, ‘She has a crush on you.’ I became very protective over her, I’ve always had a soft spot for her and that continues to the day,” Felton said.

The world saw just how Emma Watson had grown up when we saw her entrance to the Yule ball looking, well, like a beautiful, grown-up young lady. Watson knew the scene was a big deal, which actually made her miserable. “I just knew it was the like duckling becomes the swan moment. I knew there was all this pressure suddenly.”

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Director, Newell, had to coach the young actress to walk down the stairs as the nerves were clearly getting the better of her. She had so many issues with that ‘moment’ that nerves even led her to fall down the stairs while practicing.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Radcliffe had a crush on actress Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Bellatrix Lestrange in the series. Young, hormonal Daniel had written Helena a letter where he revealed his feelings with a more than flirtatious tone, stating that he “wished” he had “been born 10 years earlier” to have a chance with her.

If she was looking for a way to deter Radcliffe all these years later, she had found one. The actress produced the fake teeth that her character wore, saying that she has kept them all these years - and never had them cleaned. Bonham Carter went on to admit they smelled a bit.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Matthew Lewis who played Neville Longbottom in the franchise said in the reunion, “There was crushes and people went out with each other and broke up just like you’d do at school. It was exactly the same environment, but it was just in a Defense Against the Dark Arts class,” he said.

So there were so many things these young stars had to deal with. But just like any normal teen, it’s the questions of what to do and how to respond when someone makes a move. Watson and Radcliffe helped each other out. “The amount of prep and coaching Emma and I would give each other on texting to the opposite sex,” Radcliffe recalled. “Like if she was texting a boy or if I was texting a girl, I would be like, ‘She sent me this many kisses back, what do I do? This is a nightmare.’”

The role, the fame and all the experiences this young woman was facing in her life was leading her to a dark place. So much so that she had considered taking a step back from the films. “The fame thing had finally hit home in a big way,” she confessed. Felton tried to understand and relate to her pain, saying “Emma was not only younger, but she was by herself.”

“I did find a diary entry, and I can see that at times I was lonely,” she said to co-star Rupert Grint during the reunion. “I think I was scared, I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point when you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.’” Luckily she realised she had to see it through for the fans and for the rest of the cast.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

To make matters worse, Emma Watson’s pet hamster, Millie, had died on set and she was completely heartbroken. However, she was instantly cheered up by the Harry Potter family and was given a “custom made wooden coffin that had velvet on the inside of it, and it had her name engraved, because I was beside myself.”

Photo: Still from 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts' - Warner Bros Pictures

The cast paid tribute to the late Richard Harrison Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Helen McCrory and Alan Rickman. For Radcliffe particularly, Rickman had made a mark on his life. “I knew that absolute legend,” he said in the utmost respect.

So, in the final film it was now time to see Rupert Grint and Emma Watson locking lips. But there was nothing romantic about it. “Obviously us kissing was the most horrifying thing either of us has ever had to go through,” Watson said. “I think I kind of blacked out. I just remember your face coming closer and closer to mine,” Grint added, to which she said: “Every time you talk about this you make it sound like an absolute horror show.”

Photo: YouTube: Ron and Hermione BTS Kiss / HP Wizards Collection

Harry also finds his true love in Ginny Weasley, played by Bonnie Wright. But for the actors it was just plain ‘weird’. “Bonnie was the youngest one so it was a bit like ‘What? This is weird,'” he said. It got awkward when they had to kiss, explaining that “everyone on the set has known me for six or seven years and they watch you grow up.”

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Emma Watson told Rupert Grint “The way it feels for me now, like seeing you here having had time apart—I’m trying not to get emotional—it feels like you’re like, a pillar of my life.” Grint said in return, “Even though we don’t see each other all the time. It’s a strong bond we’ll always have and we’ll always be part of each other’s lives. I love you.” Then added: “As a friend.”

The end of the franchise was a ‘weird time’ for Rupert Grint, and imaginably for all the young stars. They had played these characters for so long. Grint even admitted that he felt as if he “lost track” of who he was. “Even my name didn’t feel like my name. I felt like I only really knew how to do one thing: I knew how to play Ron.”

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

So, the only thing left to do now is go back and revisit the Harry Potter films once again and see Daniel Radcliffe don his specs as the young wizard. But, did you know, Daniel Radcliffe actually got through 160 pairs of glasses across all 8 Harry Potter films? If only you were a wizard, Daniel.

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