Tom Felton. Image Source: Central Fife Times
Harry Potter star Tom Felton, in a recent interview, recalled how playing Draco Malfoy came with consequences, which were not good for his personal life because he did not score much dates back in the day.
Tom Felton told The Guardian that despite being well-liked and admired for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, he wasn't getting many dates at school. He added that he was strolling about with dyed hair and portraying an evil wizard on-screen, but some people struggle with the idea that he wasn't this hot-shot, heartthrob during his school days.
Tom Felton, who made his West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story on Wednesday in London, claimed that the idea people had of him being a heartthrob just because he was doing a movie was not cool because he didn't have many dates to go to. Coming back to his debut on West End, 2:22 A Ghost Story is a spooky comedy that is now in its third season in London. The actor is confident but nervous, as well as excited. With a 140-page script, he stated to The Guardian that there was a lot of vocabulary to learn, but it flowed smoothly.
Tom mentioned that James Buckley, who was one of the show’s last stars, told him that it was going to be a challenge physically and mentally unlike anything Tom has done before, so the actor said that he needed to embrace the meltdown that would come. He added that this is new to him but he is thankful that the rest of the cast and crew are aware of what is happening, so that calms him down.
During the conversation, Tom Felton talked about how his mother sacrificed everything in her life so that Tom could pursue a career in acting, and how he got his first acting role at the age of six for a commercial union advertisement. When asked about landing the role of Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton joked that he might have been the only one on set who didn't know what Harry Potter was at the time and that he got the job because he was unassuming. Perhaps it was director Chris Columbus who noticed the actor's little lack of interest and arrogance, which he thought would fit Malfoy.
Tom Felton revealed that his schedules were set up so that he could go to school for weeks on end and weeks on end, whilst other performers such as Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe had to work nonstop for 10 years. Tom admitted that he would get the odd remark from his friends, but that most of the time, no one bothered, but that he was frustrated when he had to miss Halloween parties and school excursions due to work.
Tom mentioned that he was adjusting to the success slowly because it didn't happen immediately and that the producers had planned to make only two Harry Potter films and then wait to see if the youngsters still looked young enough before moving through with the sequels. The actor went on to say that they never signed up for 12 years and that they expected to be replaced with better performers at some point, but that never happened. Talking about his time, Tom Felton shared that Jason Isaacs, who played Draco Malfoy’s father in the movie, was incredibly supportive and graceful towards him and that reality mattered to him.
Tom Felton stated that it was Jason Isaacs who helped him in getting rid of his impostor syndrome and explained that he thought all he did was stand around and look miserable for a long time, but Jason asked him to snap out of it and reminded him that he was good but could do much better. For the sixth part, when Tom Felton was 20, he listened to Jason’s advice, which was to get into shape, learn to do an American accent, and get a good US agent, and right after the final movie, Tom Felton was on the sets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Tom Felton moved to Los Angeles but kept things going slow and enjoyed the California life, by surfing, writing music, and hanging out with his dog. He explained that it sort of allowed him have more of a balance in his life. Tom Felton said he had never compared his route to success or profession to that of the other kids, and that he was their biggest supporter. He recalled the first time he saw Daniel on Broadway, and said there was a connection "Moment of Draco-Esque: fucking hell, he's just so good. I wasn't comparing myself to anyone, but it got my attention."
The actor discussed the Harry Potter franchise's achievements and stated that he is committed to its success. He used to live a very normal life in comparison to the other three performers, but that is changing now. Tom Felton shared that fans that approach him nowadays were not even alive when the first film was released which amazes him and adds that it feel like the movie has grown and been passed down through the generations. He's starting to realize it won't go away and he is extremely grateful for being a part of the Harry Potter franchise.
Tom Felton returned to Los Angeles for a vacation and visited the Harry Potter theme park in California and shared that he was simply having fun and none of his friends had ever been so they went and he witnessed a young girl having the time of her life, complete with tears of delight. Tom Felton added that he couldn't resist approaching her, removing his hat, and telling her that he'd see her in the Slytherin Common Room. The actor mentioned that he will never get tired of seeing how happy it makes people when he saw her face light up.
The actor finally added that the play, 2:22 A Ghost Story is for his mum, who had been by his side all this while.
