Growing up with Potter

by S. Indramalar

The three main stars of the Harry Potter movies talk about growing up and what lies ahead.

It is almost too hard to believe that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are 18, 19 and 17 respectively. We have, after all, literally seen them grow up right before our eyes - from the adorable 10-year-olds in the first Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, way back in 2001.

But grow up they did; and now, in an interview with the trio in London recently for the release of the fifth movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they are clearly no longer kids but young adults trying to figure out what exactly it is they want to do once the Potter movies come to a close in a couple of years.

The one who is most clear about his future is Radcliffe who is certain he wants to continue acting. Be it in film or stage, indie or Hollywood mainstream movies, the boy wants to act.

And, he has proven that with his somewhat controversial (full frontal nudity, people) stage debut, Equus, early this year.

"I would never want to step away from the Potter movies completely .. I am very, very proud of them, especially this one. But, any boy who is 16 and has aspirations to act and is offered a part in a production written and directed by Peter Shaffer ... well, it would have been really stupid of me to turn down a fantastic opportunity like that. It had a great script and I was offered the part and yeah, I said yes. It seemed like an obvious decision to make," he said.

In the West End production Equus, Radcliffe plays Alan Strang, a disturbed teenager fixated on horses who develops an intense relationship with his psychiatrist. He is also set to appear in December Boys, due out in September, about four boys growing up in Australia in the 1960s.

Radcliffe is keen to embark on other projects, in part, because he does not want to be solely known as "the kid who played Harry Potter".

How they've grown: The stars of the Harry Potter series (from left), Rupert Grint and Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.

"Yes, I want to be known as an actor in my own right," he said, stressing once again that he has no intention of "disowning" Harry Potter.

"Was it a coming of age film for me too? Hmmm, I never thought of it that way. Yes, I suppose Harry is growing up ... he is definitely becoming more of a leader in this film but ...

Watson, who plays one of Potters' two best friends Hermione Granger, has not quite decided what she will do after the series ends.

"It's quite hard to imagine my life without Harry Potter ... it's sort of hard to remember my life before. But while it is obviously a huge part of me, it does not define me. I know who I am aside from this.

"It feels strange that one day it will be over. I suppose in a way it will never be over ... the books will always be loved and the films will come on every Christmas and it'll keep on living in everyone's imaginations for many years to come," said the eloquent 18-year-old.

While the two blokes (Radcliffe and Grint) signed on early on to do the last two movies of the franchise, Watson took a bit longer to make up her mind, prompting media speculation that she was holding out for more money or that she was unhappy with her part in the films.

The speculations, asserts Watson, could not be further from the truth.

"It was because of scheduling ... I was thinking about how I was going to handle my acting and school. I will be doing my A-Levels and it is no joke handling both movies back to back. I mean it is going to be almost two years of my life, of course I am going to think about it a little bit.

"But I am so glad and excited that I will be doing the last two movies," said Watson, who looked classy in an Alberta Ferretti green knee-length dress, Chanel necklace and Dolce & Gabbana pumps.

Adds Radcliffe: "I think Emma was completely right in taking her time. It is not something to be jumped at ... one Harry Potter movie takes about 10 months to film and two would take close to two years. Everything was just blown out of proportion," he defended.

Aha, so they do stick up for each other even outside the movies. In the Potter movies, Harry, Hermione and Ron are best friends who support each other through thick and thin.

Like her character, Watson has obviously got a sensible head on her shoulders. Though she wants to continue acting in the future, she is not willing to give up on her education. She is also fiercely loyal like Hermione, she claims.

"We're both feminists, we're both very stubborn and determined and loyal. If I have a friend then I stay (with them) through to the end.

"Obviously, I am a bit geeky, a bit nerdy like she is. We both love school ... I love to learn," she says. Currently studying for her A Levels at the Headington School in Oxford, Watson is the only one of the three still in school. She hopes to do a combined degree in English Literature and Philosophy.

For Grint, his Potter earnings have at least allowed him to flesh out a childhood dream: buying an ice cream truck. (In an interview in 2003 promoting the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Grint revealed that as a kid, he wanted to be an ice cream man!).

"I don't know what I will do after the last movie. I will definitely miss it as it has been a big part of my life and I am grateful for it. It will be nice not to do anything for a while.

"I just bought an ice cream truck from the Peak District. I think its called Mellon Ices or something ... I will have to change the name but, yeah, it's pretty cool. It has these huge freezers at the back and a kitchen and sinks ...

"I just got my driving license so I have been driving it around a little. I do feel a little guilty though when I am driving around and kids are running after me hoping to buy some ice cream!" said Grint.

Grint is certain that he will not follow co-star Radcliffe's lead and get naked on stage. One thing the three agree on, however, is how positive their experience working with director David Yates has been.

"Not that any of the other directors have patronised us but David came at a time when we were all grown up and we were quite ready to be pushed harder and further. He would quite happily come up to us at the end of a take and say that we were not being real enough.

When a director backs you that much and has that much confidence in you, you begin to think 'Oh ok ... if he thinks I can do this then obviously I can. So, in a way, he pushed me harder than I have been pushed before and gave us some fantastic experiences," said Radcliffe.

Adds Watson: "It was lovely because David listened to what we had to say about our characters. He was respectful of the fact that we have been playing these people for five films now. He appreciated the history of the special relationship that Dan, Rupert and I share because it adds truth to the friendship between Harry, Hermione and Ron. "David really looks for the truth in all of the characters," she said.

Yates, shares Grint, brought to the set a very different vibe from the previous directors.

"David was wicked; we got on really well with him. They (all four Harry Potter directors) have all been great but very different. Mike (Newell) was really loud and there was quite a bit of swearing going on but David was more laid back and relaxed. He took it easy and it was really nice," he said.

Was he disappointed that the film did without the Quidditch match, which saw Ron winning for the first time?

"Yeah, I was a bit disappointed as I was quite looking forward to that. But it is such a big book and there was so much to get in so I understood why they took it out.

"It has been really cool though, not only because we had a different director that changed things up a bit but because it's always been with the same cast ... we are all good friends and it was good to reconnect."