The Making of the Potterverse Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Edward Gross
and hope they have as much fun acting the first year at Hogwarts as I had writing it.”
David Heyman elaborated on the casting process, explaining, “It was not easy to find a boy who embodied the many qualities of Harry Potter. We wanted someone who could combine a sense of wonder and curiosity, the sense of having lived a life, having experienced pain; an old soul in a child’s body. He needed to be open and generous to those around him and have good judgment. Harry is not great at academics; he has flaws. But that’s what makes him so compelling, so human — that he’s not perfect. Harry has an ‘everyman’ quality, yet he is capable of great things. He makes us all believe that magic is possible.”
Chris Columbus provided more detail on the casting process of the Harry character: “We had auditioned hundreds of potential Harry Potters, and I was still unhappy with the results. The first casting director, in a fit of total frustration, threw up her arms and said, ‘I just don’t know what you want!’ Sitting on a shelf in the office was a video copy of
David Copperfield
, starring Daniel Radcliffe. I picked up the video box, pointed to Dan’s face and said, ‘This is who I want! This is Harry Potter.’ The casting director said, ‘I’ve told you before, he is unavailable and his parents aren’t interestedin him doing this film.’” Added Heyman, “I completely understood their reticence and caution in allowing their child to play a role that would inevitably change his life. But we arranged a meeting over tea that afternoon with Dan. We talked for an hour and a half. His energy and enthusiasm were wonderful. I had a feeling that this was our Harry.” Noted Columbus, “To the Radcliffes’ credit, they were totally aware of the enormity of the project and for the sake of their child, were not going to make this decision lightly. We made it very clear to them that we would protect their son. We knew from the start that Dan was Harry Potter. He has the magic, the inner depth and darkness that is very rare in an 11-year-old. He also has a sense of wisdom and intelligence that I haven’t seen in many other kids his age. We knew we had made the right choice after sending Jo a copy of Daniel’s screen test. Jo’s comment was something to the effect of, ‘It’s as if I’ve been reunited with my long-lost son.’”
In an interview, Daniel Radcliffe reflected on getting the role of Harry: “I thought there are millions of boys auditioning for that part, and I know I won’t get it. But I was in the bath and talking to my mom when the phone rang and dad came in and told me I’d got the part. I was so happy, I cried a lot! That night I woke up at two in the morning and woke up mom and dad and I asked them, ‘Is it real? Am I dreaming?’ I was so excited.”
On the casting of Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Columbus pointed out, “We’d been simultaneously looking to fill the other roles, but the casting of Harry was the peak of the triangle, and without him, none of the rest would make sense. We brought in several children for screen tests, but it soon became apparent who were the three. We immediately fell in love with Rupert Grint. He’s extremely funny and has such an incredibly warm presence. Emma Watson embodies the soul and the essence of Hermione Granger. When we saw Dan, Rupert and Emma together onscreen, they had amazing chemistry. It was electric. We knew we had found the perfect team.”
Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson pose with director Chris Columbus, Richard Harris (Dumbledore), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), and producer David Heyman. (Adam Butler/AP Photo)
Rupert Grint offered, “Ron is one of my favorite characters and I can really relate to him. I’ve got loads of brothers and sisters, and I know what it’s like growing up in a big family. And I still get hand-me-downs. . . . I was watching
Newsround
and they told us how you could audition for a part in the
David Heyman elaborated on the casting process, explaining, “It was not easy to find a boy who embodied the many qualities of Harry Potter. We wanted someone who could combine a sense of wonder and curiosity, the sense of having lived a life, having experienced pain; an old soul in a child’s body. He needed to be open and generous to those around him and have good judgment. Harry is not great at academics; he has flaws. But that’s what makes him so compelling, so human — that he’s not perfect. Harry has an ‘everyman’ quality, yet he is capable of great things. He makes us all believe that magic is possible.”
Chris Columbus provided more detail on the casting process of the Harry character: “We had auditioned hundreds of potential Harry Potters, and I was still unhappy with the results. The first casting director, in a fit of total frustration, threw up her arms and said, ‘I just don’t know what you want!’ Sitting on a shelf in the office was a video copy of
David Copperfield
, starring Daniel Radcliffe. I picked up the video box, pointed to Dan’s face and said, ‘This is who I want! This is Harry Potter.’ The casting director said, ‘I’ve told you before, he is unavailable and his parents aren’t interestedin him doing this film.’” Added Heyman, “I completely understood their reticence and caution in allowing their child to play a role that would inevitably change his life. But we arranged a meeting over tea that afternoon with Dan. We talked for an hour and a half. His energy and enthusiasm were wonderful. I had a feeling that this was our Harry.” Noted Columbus, “To the Radcliffes’ credit, they were totally aware of the enormity of the project and for the sake of their child, were not going to make this decision lightly. We made it very clear to them that we would protect their son. We knew from the start that Dan was Harry Potter. He has the magic, the inner depth and darkness that is very rare in an 11-year-old. He also has a sense of wisdom and intelligence that I haven’t seen in many other kids his age. We knew we had made the right choice after sending Jo a copy of Daniel’s screen test. Jo’s comment was something to the effect of, ‘It’s as if I’ve been reunited with my long-lost son.’”
In an interview, Daniel Radcliffe reflected on getting the role of Harry: “I thought there are millions of boys auditioning for that part, and I know I won’t get it. But I was in the bath and talking to my mom when the phone rang and dad came in and told me I’d got the part. I was so happy, I cried a lot! That night I woke up at two in the morning and woke up mom and dad and I asked them, ‘Is it real? Am I dreaming?’ I was so excited.”
On the casting of Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Columbus pointed out, “We’d been simultaneously looking to fill the other roles, but the casting of Harry was the peak of the triangle, and without him, none of the rest would make sense. We brought in several children for screen tests, but it soon became apparent who were the three. We immediately fell in love with Rupert Grint. He’s extremely funny and has such an incredibly warm presence. Emma Watson embodies the soul and the essence of Hermione Granger. When we saw Dan, Rupert and Emma together onscreen, they had amazing chemistry. It was electric. We knew we had found the perfect team.”
Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson pose with director Chris Columbus, Richard Harris (Dumbledore), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), and producer David Heyman. (Adam Butler/AP Photo)
Rupert Grint offered, “Ron is one of my favorite characters and I can really relate to him. I’ve got loads of brothers and sisters, and I know what it’s like growing up in a big family. And I still get hand-me-downs. . . . I was watching
Newsround
and they told us how you could audition for a part in the