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One of the actors making his Harry-Potter debut in the second film is scene-stealing Jason Isaacs,
who plays Lucius Malfoy, the evil father of Harry's nemesis, Draco.
Isaacs has made a name for himself as a villain
in films like "The Patriot," "Dragonheart," and "Black Hawk Down." As a new character, Issacs knew he faced a challenge to
become part of the tight-knit ensemble from the first movie, led by Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry. CBS News' Randall
Pinkston caught up with Isaacs in London.
My litmus test was the kids. When I walked on and did my first lines, my first rehearsals and Daniel went,
'God, is that how you're going to talk, that's so cool.' I went, 'I passed the test with Daniel, so it'll be all right,'”
says Isaacs.
“Malfoy's voice is based on a very, very patronizing bullying teacher
I had at drama school whose voice is like fingernails on a blackboard,”
"You don’t get the voice right,,you don’t get the character right"
Isaacs explains. According to Isaacs, his character is not a villain. “He's
a misunderstood hero but he has his own agenda. It just so happens his agenda is not very pleasant. It's about ridding the
world of this subhuman species polluting pure wizardry. The mudbloods.”
Isaacs says there was nothing
on the page or in the script about how Malfoy should treat his nasty son, Draco, so he played a cruel father.
“And I arrived to do the scene the first day and I just, it just felt right that I should grab him by the ear,
really and twist it and it felt like I should rap him over the knuckles with my cane told Chris (Columbus), the director, but I didn't tell the actor. And he looked up at me with those sad
eyes of his and I wasn't sure if I had upset the actor or if he was in character, but he's a great actor he was going with
it because it made sense.
"Playing him, I understood for instance, when I was bullying my own son and treating Draco
so badly that probably come from a very, very long line of cold brutal fathers producing cold brutal sons. I think when you
watch the film you'll understand why Draco is the bully at school,” Isaacs says.
Isaacs was totally
consumed by his character, right down to the costume.
“ Actually when I went in they wanted me to have short, gray hair. But I said..you
must be kidding me, I’m only going to play wizard once in my life. I WANT long hair. I WANT velvet and I WANT
fur!"
How much work have you done in your professional career previously with children?
" Well I was a children entertainer . When I was in drama
school that’s what I did on weekends for cash. But these kids were more normal than I’ve ever met on a
film set. They’re probably the most famous kids in the world right now but they’re very courteous, very
humble. There were hundreds of other kids on set being other people at Hogwarts but there seemed to be no difference between
them."
So would he be in the next Potter movie?
"Sadly I’m not in the third book so I can’t be in the
third film. Unless I play some other character which would be strange."
“I
am in the 4th book and when they get to that, I'm looking forward to doing it. I wish they'd skip straight to the 4th and
come back and do the third one but they won't listen to me,” he quips
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