Neveye's Forges Vault
Daniel Radcliffe
Home
Premiere photos ~ chamber of secrets
News 2003
News 2002
News 2001
News 1999
News 1998
SOUND BITES
Mini News
CAST LIST
Interviews
TV Transcripts
Harry Potter and the Award cermonies
Related Links
Contact Me
News 2007
News 2006

 

Daniel Radcliffe
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Interviewed by Alec Cawthorne

updated 12th November 2002

 

 

How did you like the action scenes in "Chamber of Secrets"?
The action scenes for me were so much fun. In the scene when I'm hanging out of the car window, that was actually me, I was hanging 25-30ft up in the air, and it was just really cool. I do as many of the stunts as possible, although obviously there are some I can't do.

Which scenes did you like filming most?
I loved filming the duelling scene, I thought that was really brilliant, because you've got the confrontation between Snape and Gilderoy Lockhart - who are totally different characters. I also loved the scenes were there were loads of people around, I love the crowd scenes.

What were the most challenging scenes for you?
Probably one of the most challenging scenes was the Parseltongue scene, because it was a completely different language [Harry speaks to snakes in their own language] and it was hard to get a hold on at first. I got used to it in the end.

What was it like working with Kenneth Branagh?
It's intimidating when you're first about to meet him, because he's this unbelievable Shakespearean actor. But then you actually meet him and he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. It's an honour to work with him.

Is it true you've been working out because the owls are so heavy?
Kind of. I have been exercising a lot more, but not just for the owls. I've had to do more physical training for the film to do the climbing and the sword-fighting sequences.

What was it like working with Dobby?
It was kind of hard knowing what kind of facial expression an orange ball is making. There were digital effects on the first film, but none were as animated as Dobby is, so it was quite hard work. But I think most of the credit goes to Chris [Columbus] and everybody who worked on the film, for making it so easy for me.

Did you have nightmares after watching the film?
I was fine with it, I liked it, I liked the fact it was a darker, more edgy film. If you take away the darkness that's in the book, then you haven't done it justice when you've adapted it.

 

How has life changed for you since you entered the world of "Harry Potter"?
My life has changed surprisingly little. Obviously I'm recognised sometimes and people come up to me on the street, but that's really fun and cool because they just want to talk about the film and they're really enthusiastic about it. It's great to hear what they have to say.

Has working on the films affected your schoolwork?
I've just started at a new school, and I've caught up with all of the other kids. On set I actually did better with one-to-one tutoring than in a class of people, so I've settled in really well.

You're a big fan of punk rock music. How come?
I just like the attitude and the way the music sounds. My favourite bands are The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Stranglers, The Undertones, The Clash, The Jam, bands like that.

Has your love life improved since becoming a movie star?
I don't know what to say! I'm kind of flattered by all the fan letters I get, but I don't have a girlfriend or anything.

Are you like your character?
We are similar, in a way, because Harry's friends are very important to him, and my friends are very important to me. We also both get in trouble quite a lot. As I keep reading the books, I keep discovering more stuff about Harry that I have in common with him. I think we're both very curious - sometimes too much so, and that maybe gets us into trouble.

What's the best and worst things about being so famous?
Probably one of the best is seeing the finished product on the film. Everybody's worked on it for 11 months or so, and to see all the work that everybody on set has put into it, put together something as great as this film, is really great to see. And so far I haven't experienced a worst bit.