Musings From The Harry Potter Press Conference

While attending the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince press conference in New York City last week it became apparent early on that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton and Bonnie Wright are all very intelligent, quick-witted, funny people who really do like each other off the set. Not much of a surprise really but refreshing nonetheless. Not wanting to waste any of the great moments (I spent a majority of it laughing), I’ve compiled some of the best quotes from them for your pleasure.

Stalkers…

On the subject of stalkers Emma Watson joked, “I’m dating my stalker. He’s always there when I need him. I can be very demanding…he’s so into me. It’s great! It’s the way to go; I really recommend it.”

Rupert Grint added, “It sounds quite good really. (You) get a lot of attention.”

Dating…

When quizzed about his dating life Daniel Radcliffe stumbled a bit and then said, “People sometimes ask, ‘Being Harry Potter, does it help you get girls?” I don’t know. I was nine (years old) before I did Harry Potter, so I don’t know what it’s like to ‘get girls’ without the aid of being Harry.”

Funny Reporters…

Mark Zito (wearing a grey sweater) from Maxim Radio asked Watson, “Have you ever been at one of these events and looked at somebody, hypothetically, in a grey sweater and just been like, ‘I wish that was my date to the premiere tonight?'” Radcliffe replied enthusiastically, “I’m having that moment now!”

Kissing…

Talking about the kissing scene between him and Bonnie Wright (who plays Ginny Weasley) Radcliffe noted, “My God! My lips are like the lips of a horse. Kind of distending independently away from my face and trying to encompass the lower half of hers. I apologize Bonnie.” Bonnie smiled and said it wasn’t so bad.

Drugged Harry…

One of the best scenes in Half-Blood Prince has Harry drinking a potion that makes him act pretty far-out. “I just let the more manic side of myself that I suppress for 23 hours of every day loose for a while on set. And just became a kind of uncontrollable, vaguely irritating, vaguely amusing person that I keep hidden. And then just let him out and went mad for a few days,” Radcliffe explained how he prepared for the role.

“I think drugged Harry is closer to Dan’s real personality than actual Harry,” Watson jabbed.

“If you spent a proper amount of time with me you would probably wonder if I was on drugs. I’m not! I’m just incredibly hyperactive, manic…At the premiere in England the other night I was just this kind of beast that had been unleashed on the red carpet. It was incredible!” Radcliffe added.

The Books…

When asked whether knowing they will be playing the characters affected how they read the books Watson showed her nerdy side, “To be honest I’m such a geeky Harry Potter fan. (I) genuinely love Harry Potter. Know the books inside out. Have read each of them at least three times. Could probably answer any question that you come up with, any plot detail you might care to ask. So, when I read the books I read them from the perspective of someone who is drying to know what happens. Before I even think about ‘Oh, Hermione, I’ll have to act this.’ I’m just not thinking of it like that. I’m desperate to get to the end and very excited to read it.”

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) wasn’t so eloquent, “I revel in the pages whenever I see Draco’s name. I think, ‘Oh my god, this is it! This is what we get to do.'”

College…

On the subject of college roommates and whether Watson was worried about who she rooms with in the fall (she’s attending Brown University) Radcliffe piped up, “I really hope they’re a massive Harry Potter fan. I hope you walk in and the first thing you see is your face on a duvet!”

School Trips…

Since most of the young cast were working on the Potter films growing up they missed a lot of school trips. Asked whether they plan on making them up Felton quipped, “It’s a little late to go to LEGOLAND now! We missed that boat.”

That Scene…

Speaking very excitedly about the underwater scene he had to do in Half-Blood Prince, Radcliffe went on, “It was one of the coolest moments of my career. Bursting through the surface of the water, being surrounded by this circle of fire (real fire)…and then I get to climb up onto the central island where I look up and see Michael Gambon there…like God or Moses; swirling fire around his head. It was one of those moments where I went, ‘It does not matter how many more films I do, I will never have this scene or anything like it ever again.'”

Gambon…

One of the best moments from the conference came near the end when Michael Gambon poked his head in from the hall to see how it was going (he was on next). Without missing a beat Radcliffe yelled out “Shut up, Gambon!” The entire room filled with laughter.

More CityNews.ca Potter Coverage:

Love Is In The Air: Harry Potter Stars On The Budding Romance At Hogwarts
Hogwarts’ Bad Boy Tom Felton Talks Harry Potter
His Take/Her Take: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

brian.mckechnie@citynews.ca

Top image: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint at the North American premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in New York, NY. Credit Marion Curtis/Startraksphoto.com

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