Tom Felton was almost cast as Harry Potter in the magical saga before Danielle Radcliffe stole the role.
There are some characters you simply can’t imagine being played by anyone other than the actors who portrayed them. And this was certainly the case for some many who starred in Harry Potter franchise.
But what many fans may not know is that the young actor, who played Draco Malfoy in the series, was actually considered to play the title role.
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As youngsters up and down the country excitedly sign up for HBO’s casting call for the upcoming reboot, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside the audition process for the original cast in 2001.
(Image: Getty Images for Montblanc)
Christopher Columbus, who directed Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, revealed they went as far as dying young Tom’s hair brown for his audition as Harry – but it just didn’t work.
He told The Hollywood Reporter : “Tom was a great actor as well, so we thought, let’s just dye Tom’s hair, give him a scar, give him the glasses and let’s see. He did a great Harry Potter reading.
“The problem is you can really kind of tell when an 11 or 12-year-old kid’s hair is dyed. He was so good at Malfoy. I just couldn’t pass that up. I knew Tom had to play Malfoy.”
(Image: Warner Bros)
Speaking back in 2011, Tom admitted he was “grateful” to have landed the role of Draco, rather than playing Harry or Ron. Speaking to MTV News at the time, he explained: “I’m very grateful I am in the film at all, but even more grateful that I got the character of Draco.
“I think Rupert and Dan, there’s no question in my mind, there’s no one else in that world that a) could have played the character better. But b) could have handled the behind-the-scenes pressure those guys have dealt with over the last decade.”
It’s fair to say directors will have their work cut out for them as they search for the next golden trio ahead of the upcoming reboot television series. The casting call was opened earlier this week, with the TV network conforming its authenticity to Variety.
(Image: © Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.)
To be eligible for the roles of Harry, Ron or Hermione, children must be aged between nine and 11 in April 2025 and be residents of the UK or Ireland. The casting call also says it’s “committed to inclusive, diverse casting.”
It continues: “For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by law unless otherwise specifically indicated.”
For those who wish to apply, they must send two self-tapes, which are videos of those auditioning. It asks that one video be “a short poem or story” (though nothing from Harry Potter) and the second “telling us a bit about yourself, including your date of birth, height and where you live”.
(Image: Warner Bros.)
It also asks for children to use their own accents. Fans will have to stay tuned to see which three will be chosen for the infamous roles.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
