Your character, Lucius Malfoy, appears for the first time in "Chamber of Secrets". Was it difficult coming into an established group?

No, it was like turning up to a very good party where all of the people are just slightly bored of each other and are thrilled when the doorbell rings. They were terribly welcoming.

Having seen you shaven-headed in Somalia in your last picture, "Black Hawk Down", do blonds have more fun?

I think just about anything would be more fun than making "Black Hawk Down", and having this beautiful long blond hair, people treated me a little better. Of course, when you're carrying an M16 people are pretty nice about that.

Your character doesn't appear in "Prisoner of Azkaban". What would you ask JK Rowling to do to increase your role in future books?

I probably shouldn't mention this in public, but she has actually sent me an early draft of the next book, which is called "Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Lucius", which is all about Lucius' early romantic adventures. She's warned me it might change before publication, so I'll wait and see...

I'm just hoping still to be around in the next film, there's concern that I might be too old when we get to the fourth and fifth, but I think with moisturiser and CGI they might be able to work some magic. I hope to get to poke my face in. I'm deeply bitter that I don't get to work with Alfonso and see this merry bunch on the third one, I hope that I'm back for the fourth.

The only clue I have is that I keep reading these interviews with Jo Rowling where she says it's been very painful writing Book Five ["Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"] because she's had to kill off characters she loves. Reading between the lines, nobody loves Lucius, so I assume I'm still alive!

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" opens in UK cinemas on Friday 15th November 2002.