The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Tour Q&A
DANIEL RADCLIFFE (Harry Potter) Q&A
QUESTION: Is it nice to be seen in other things, especially a serious role on stage such as Equus?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: Yes. Harry is brilliant, and I love playing him, but I do want to establish myself as someone other than that character. Equus did seem a bit of a change and some people were expecting that I would fail, so the fact that I didn't is something I've enjoyed!
QUESTION: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth Harry Potter film. Do you think that there will be mixed emotions when you finish shooting the next films?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: Definitely. It will be very, very odd to suddenly not be coming back to Harry Potter. It does act as a safety net, in a way, when you're going off to make something else. Knowing that you don't have that will be sad. I'll be sad to leave the character behind and not see the friends I've made on a daily basis.
QUESTION: The Harry Potter film series has been such an enormous part of your life. Do you ever look back over early films in the series and see how you have developed?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: There's a certain amount of cringe in my own performance; so I don't look back on the early films. I probably should watch them and take the positives from the way my performances have improved and developed over the years but it's a little embarrassing to see yourself and hear yourself at that age. When I eventually do look back it will be very interesting.
QUESTION: Rupert tells us you're improving at the games of table tennis that you play when you are relaxing between scenes on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but he says that Emma really knocks everyone else out?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: Yes, and it's really irritating that Emma is so good! [Laughs.] Rupert and I had been playing for about eight months and working on each other's game. Then Emma saunters in and is absolutely brilliant. Neither of us could beat her. I have got better but I'm never going to take Emma on again.
QUESTION: You have always been a big fan of indie rock, so what are your music discoveries this year?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: A band called Vampire Weekend are on my tip sheet. There's a girl called Laura Marley, whose lyrics are astonishing. A girl called Adel is great, too. One of my favourite albums last year was by The Wombats - Love, Lost And Desperation. There's another band whom nobody seems to have heard of called Beirut. They've had two albums and they're both astonishing. I'd encourage anyone to buy them. I like Mars Volta and I loved My Chemical Romance's last album, even though I never liked anything they ever did before that.
QUESTION: So are you really a frustrated rocker?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: No, I don't have enough talent to do that. If I suddenly discovered along the line that I was an amazing guitarist, that would be great, but I don't think that's going to happen!
QUESTION: But do you have a go at karaoke?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: I'm brilliant at karaoke, actually. Rock and Roll Suicide by Bowie is my speciality. I blew them away singing that at the Equus wrap party.
QUESTION: Back to the world of Harry Potter. Will Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince show another side of Harry?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: There's friction in this film it's much more to do with Ron and Hermione than it is to do with Harry. Harry is unhappy for a lot of this film, mainly because people keep trying to kill him. And his love life is awful, too. That's what Jo [JK Rowling] does so well: combining everyday, mundane problems with this incredible other world.
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EMMA WATSON (Hermione Granger) Q&A
QUESTION: Were you happy to be back on the Harry Potter film set for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
EMMA WATSON: I was quite keen to get back into the swing of it. Everyone was pleased to see me because it meant that things had really picked up.
QUESTION: How tough was it to have your character start a romance onscreen with Ron, especially since he’s played by an old friend?
EMMA WATSON: I don't know that it's tough. Rupert's a really laid back guy but I'm really looking forward to it because I quite like the romantic comedy side of it. Rupert and I end up providing light relief, as the films get darker. It's funny seeing Rupert struggling in the romantic stakes. Hermione and Rupert are so different yet they have this chemistry, so it's interesting. It'll be awkward doing those love scenes; there's no other way to put it, but its all part of the job.
QUESTION: How great did it feel to win a Best Actress award at the ITV Movie Awards?
EMMA WATSON: It was so lovely. I genuinely didn't expect to win it. It wasn't just about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was about all the films and I was delighted that the public had voted for that award. It's one of my proudest moments.
QUESTION: Does working on a Harry Potter film feel different now that all three of you have done different projects?
EMMA WATSON: Yes, and it was really nice to be able to come back and talk to Dan and Rupert about the projects they had been working on; and how different it was to work on stage and TV. It's given us all more confidence as actors because we were chosen so young for the Potter films. It was so important to me to do Ballet Shoes. I learnt so much from that experience.
QUESTION: Think back to that day in the Berkeley Hotel in London when you were all playing Monopoly and you were about to be introduced to the world's press. Did you have any inkling of the huge changes in your life that were about to happen?
EMMA WATSON: I think I was too young to realise that, though obviously I was terrified. I wasn't thinking about J.K. Rowling writing seven books. I wasn't doing the maths and I wasn't thinking about the popularity of the series. Nobody had a clue that the film would become the most successful film franchise of all time.
QUESTION: So what have been the big ‘wow!’ moments over the years?
EMMA WATSON: The first was when we were told we had got the parts and we stayed in a fancy hotel for the press conference. I remember sitting on a massive bed jumping around watching myself on the TV evening news. It was mad. We also did a premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York and I remember looking up at all the people and saying wow!
QUESTION: What about the perks and getting stuff from people from companies like Chanel?
EMMA WATSON: It's amazing getting sent their dresses because I've always loved their clothing. They are the best. If anyone was going to dress me for a premiere, it was going to be Chanel. I physically don't have time to go out any buy clothes for events so they lend me clothes and it works really well. I also consider it a perk that I get to travel and get to work with the people I've worked with. What other job would have given me all these opportunities?
QUESTION: Do you keep a diary?
EMMA WATSON: I do have early diaries filled with funny little things I said or thought. I also have memory boxes filled with things from the early films, including bits of the chess set. I have funny bits and pieces that they let us keep.
QUESTION: Might all of that be helpful for an autobiography one day?
EMMA WATSON: No, I couldn't see myself doing that. It's too strange and weird looking back on that little girl. I'm very self-critical so I find it hard to watch the early films again. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a film I was proud of, but I had to watch it three or four times before I could calm myself down and stay focused on my performance.
QUESTION: Word is that you have been banned from playing table tennis by two guys because you're too good?
EMMA WATSON: Hahaha. I really hope they will let me play again because I really like it. I was quite a tomboy as a kid and played a lot of sport.
QUESTION: What's in your dressing room here at the studio?
EMMA WATSON: Rupert has darts, pool, table tennis and all these games consoles. Dan's room is full of books and music. I was so bored one summer that I painted a big mural in my dressing room. Otherwise, it's all very girly with candles and soft furnishings.
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RUPERT GRINT (Ron Weasley) Q&A
QUESTION: Word is that in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince there is plenty of Quidditch for Ron this time round?
RUPERT GRINT: Yeah, I've never done Quidditch in the films before so this is my first Quidditch experience. Dan says it's really painful and I know where he's coming from because it's quite uncomfortable, with the harness and stuff, and you're getting slung about. There are two stages. One is the try-outs where Ron is not very good and keeps getting hit in the face. Another stage is where Ron takes the potion and thinks he is really, really good. It's quite tricky but I've really enjoyed it. I'm always on a wire because the broom is quite high up, about 18 feet.
QUESTION: You are in great shape but are you naturally athletic?
RUPERT GRINT: Not really. The only sport I do is a bit of golf, really. Apart from that, I'm lazy so I've had to do a bit of training.
QUESTION: Was getting into the flow of things for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince almost like coming back to school?
RUPERT GRINT: Each film is a little bit different, but it is a lot like coming back to school. It's the same people you've worked with and we're never away that long anyway. It's easy to get back into the routine.
QUESTION: Do you keep in touch with rest of the cast between films?
RUPERT GRINT: I usually try to, but we're always quite busy, to be honest. I see the twins quite a bit, because I play golf with them. I usually win. I'm not bad and I have a handicap of 12.
QUESTION: Word is that there is going to be a lot of kissing in this movie?
RUPERT GRINT: Yeah, and Ron gets a girlfriend in this one. When we did the kissing sequence, it wasn't easy because I'm standing on a plinth and the whole room is watching. It was quite embarrassing and I was actually dreading it. It was weird and the girl who plays my girlfriend is really cool. It was fine after the first 10 takes. [Laughs.]
QUESTION: Did you get the last book sent to you?
RUPERT GRINT: I didn't get it any earlier than anyone else. I got it the day it came out and was quite keen to see what happened, especially since there was so much hype about it. I was quite happy with the ending.
QUESTION: Since the Harry Potter films have been such a huge part of your life it must seem strange that it's all going to come to an end soon?
RUPERT GRINT: Sure. It's quite sad because it's been a massive part of my life. It's hard to get my head around something that will have taken up 10 years of my life when it's finished.
QUESTION: How do you feel when for instance you catch the early Harry Potter films on TV?
RUPERT GRINT: I haven't watched the films all the way through for ages but I've seen bits and pieces on Sky. It feels like a different person, to be honest; it feels like it all happened ages ago. It brings back a lot of good memories because it was all a good life and it brings back all those exciting times to me. I had barely done a school play before I started so it was very scary in those early films. I never thought of it as a serious thing. It was all just fun for me back then.
QUESTION: Do you think that you ever get used to all the attention that comes with the phenomenal success of the films?
RUPERT GRINT: I've gradually got used to it over the years. It's more apparent when the films come out. It's strange when people come up to you. People are always really nice though. It's never really gangs of people; it's usually one or two who come over. I don't mind that at all. Once, I was in TGI Friday and a guy with a camera happened to be there. That was the only time I had any paparazzi, as such.
QUESTION: Do you ever get called Ron?
RUPERT GRINT: People always call me Ron, especially the younger kids. My little cousins actually think I'm magic.
QUESTION: What's the one thing you've most enjoyed that the Harry Potter films have brought you?
RUPERT GRINT: The chance to travel, especially that trip we made to Japan. It was a really different, a really cool experience.
QUESTION: Aren’t there loads of Harry Potter fans in Japan?
RUPERT GRINT: Yeah. I get a lot of gifts from Japan, especially pyjamas, but they're very cool. We had to learn a few words in Japanese but I can't remember them. I'm not very good at languages. It was embarrassing when we went to Paris because Emma is very good at French and I was stumbling over my few words.
QUESTION: Does being a movie star help overcome shyness?
RUPERT GRINT: I've always been a bit shy, but I do feel more confident now, yeah.
QUESTION: After the eighth Harry Potter film is done, do you want to carry on acting?
RUPERT GRINT: I'd like to because I really enjoy it. When this is over I'll see what happens. I enjoyed working on small movies like Driving Lessons, so maybe more stuff like that would be nice.
QUESTION: When you are not on camera, how do you guys unwind?
RUPERT GRINT: Table tennis is a big thing; me and Dan are getting very good at it. I have a table in my dressing room and we play every day. It's quite even because Dan has improved a lot. He has a really good serve. We're at a professional level now. [Laughs.]
QUESTION: And what about Emma?
RUPERT GRINT: She's at a different level to us so there's no point in playing with her. She just embarrasses us.
QUESTION: Was there ever any remote chance that you wouldn't come back for this sixth Harry Potter film?
RUPERT GRINT: For me, there was no doubt. So long as they wanted me, I was coming back to do it. I really enjoy doing this and it's really cool.
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DAVID YATES (Director) Q&A
QUESTION: What’s it like coming back to work on your second Harry Potter film?
DAVID YATES: It’s lovely; it feels like home. There’s a tremendous atmosphere here and it’s very relaxed. We’ve got some lovely people. It just feels like being at home, really.
QUESTION: Do you feel more relaxed or more terrified because you know what to expect?
DAVID YATES: It’s kind of a bit of both. I felt really self-conscious making the last film. I didn’t realise how big it was until I got to the premiere and then got to America and saw how massive the release was and how huge the reaction was. That was when the penny dropped that this was such a big thing for so many people. Oddly, when I started this one, I was a little bit more wary of everything. The first time round you just do it; you just go for it. But I’ve settled in and this one’s quite different to the last one. It’s a little bit more grown up and a bit wittier. It’s a different vibe, I think.
QUESTION: Producer David Barron says it’s the fact that you’ve got the energy of a four-year-old that keeps you going.
DAVID YATES: And I eat a lot of profiteroles too. [Laughs.] Anything I’ve made before usually leaves me quite shredded, but there’s something about this and working with the kids – although they’re not kids anymore – that keeps me energised. I just really enjoy it. I enjoy it more than anything else, probably because it’s quite playful. Also, you get a tremendous amount of resource and time and I’ve got a great team. I have more time to shoot than I ever need, really, so it’s much less exhausting to shoot than anything I’ve ever done. Also, I come from television where you shoot 5- or 6-day weeks and shoot five minutes a day. Then you come to this environment and you’re shooting a minute a day or 30 seconds a day. So, it’s much less tiring.
QUESTION: Have you noticed a difference in the cast who have been off to do big projects in the past year?
DAVID YATES: Yeah, I have. They are getting better and better and Emma seems much more confident this time and much more at ease generally. And Dan, having done Equus, he’s just finding moments and beats that are really surprising and lovely. So, they’re all getting better and more sophisticated.
QUESTION: Are there practical lessons that you’ve learned from the last film?
DAVID YATES: You know, it’s all storytelling. In all honesty, I do the same thing I’ve always done. Whenever I make anything I want it to be as expressive and as good as it can be, so I wouldn’t say there is anything necessarily. I would say that I’m a lot more confident with visual effects. Obviously when I started, I’d never done a visual effects film. Now that all seems very easy. The good thing about this one is that it’s funnier, it’s a funnier story. I joked with Mike Newell as he came off his film and said, ‘Oh, you’ve got adolescent love. I’m getting all the teen angst.‘ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is all about anger and rebellion and displacement, which is all a bit intense. I love all that, but it’s nice now to be dealing with something that’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s more fun.
QUESTION: Did you read the book of the final story on day one?
DAVID YATES: I did and it’s a lovely book. I really enjoyed the last book.
QUESTION: How quickly did you decide to return and direct Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
DAVID YATES: I was in post-production. We were just finishing off Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and we’d shown it to the studio and were just taking it to Chicago to test it with an audience. They asked me and I’d already felt that I wanted to continue. So, it was a good three or four months before the film was released.
QUESTION: Shouldn’t that be the time when you want to run away from it all?
DAVID YATES: Funnily enough, it was about halfway through making the previous one that I thought, I’m only going to do one of these, this is crazy. But I got a second wind and really loved the last few months and the post-production. And everyone’s just delightful to work with.
QUESTION: What do you do to stay in mental and physical shape?
DAVID YATES: Well, I run around a lot here and I’ve got a bike. I go to the gym, I have nice weekends off.
QUESTION: Can you switch off when you’re off-set?
DAVID YATES: Generally I don’t. I find it quite hard to let go. But it’s a remarkable phase of my career to work at this scale with this material. It’s hard to walk away from it.
QUESTION: How would you describe this movie?
DAVID YATES: It’s love, potions and rock ‘n’ roll. There are all these wonderful things in our story. There’s a potion that gives you perfect luck. You take it and everything goes right for you. But it does heighten your senses somewhat and you get quite breezy with it. Then there’s a love potion that makes you very tactile with everybody. Rupert gets overly tactile with Jim Broadbent at one point. So, it’s got all those metaphorical values. There are some really lovely comic beats here, which we didn’t really get a chance to do last time. It was just a very different beast.
QUESTION: Are you conscious of a time when all the films will be watched back to back, so you have to keep a through-line?
DAVID YATES: Yes, and there is a through-line. We’re just putting in all sorts of little details between the characters, which hopefully will resonate through the films. There’s a line that goes right the way through to the end.
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