The Harry Potter saga is winding down, yet fans can revisit memorable moments. In 2009, conversations with Jessie Cave, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, James and Oliver Phelps, and Dave Legeno celebrated the Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and offered a candid glimpse into life behind the scenes and the friendships that made the series special.
Jessie Cave Lavender Brown
Joining an already established film series felt strange to Cave. She had watched the stars on screen and read the books since childhood, sometimes feeling they existed elsewhere. Yet she found them to be very normal people who welcomed her with warmth. The experience was brilliant.
“Was it strange coming into an established series where the actors have grown up together?” Cave recalls. “It was incredibly odd, and there were so many people on set. Still, it was exciting to be part of something so big, and the cast made me feel at home.”
“How was it kissing Ron?” she was asked. On her third day of shooting there were many people in the room, and the scale of the sets felt overwhelming. It was scary but also fun to step fully into the world for a moment.
“When you read the books, did you see yourself as the character?” Not at all, she says. She read Half-Blood Prince several months before the audition and initially found Lavender annoying. Reading it again with her in mind, she realized Lavender has a big crush, is young and in love, and experiences heartbreak. It gave her more empathy than instant dislike.
“Have you ever had a crush?” No, she admits, though she did try. She remembers liking boys at school and, with a friend, following one around, hoping he would notice. It felt embarrassing in hindsight but amusing to recall.
“What did you feel when you learned you got the part?” It felt like a lottery win, she says, a moment of pure joy and disbelief.
“Are you involved in the battle scene?” She is involved but cannot reveal specifics about the final film. She is excited to see how the fight unfolds on screen.
“What was it like meeting J.K. Rowling?” She has not met the author yet, but she attended a script read-through and was awed by the moment. A butterfly landed on Rowling’s script and then hers, a moment that left Cave hopeful for a future meeting. She is eager to see how Lavender is represented on screen and in the DVD features.
“Do you ever go online to read what people write about you?” She has checked, finding her headshots repeated in various poses, which she finds embarrassing. Her family has looked as well, and she concedes it can be mortifying to see.
“What is the strangest thing you have read online about yourself?” Some people claim she is a baton twirler or a gymnast, which she finds funny and untrue.
Tom Felton and Bonnie Wright Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley
“Do people ever confuse you with Draco in real life?” Felton explains that a few fans blur the line between actor and character. One man even changed his name to Lucius Malfoy and wanted to adopt him, a moment he recalls with a wry smile. Wright notes that most encounters are lighthearted and pleasant.
“Have you read anything about you that was untrue?” Wright asks. “There are many rumors. Felton was said to appear in Twilight and I was linked to Burberry campaigns, which I know are not true. When you see magazines, you realize they sometimes print exaggerated stories about people, and it helps to keep a sense of humor about it.”
“What’s your earliest HP memory?” Felton replies. “The auditions were thrilling. Emma Watson stood nearby. We were in separate lines, but the idea that we might still be working together a decade later felt improbable yet exciting.”
“What have you heard about the HP amusement park?” Wright adds. “We plan to visit in May and are curious to see what it offers. It promises a different experience from Disney, with wizards and dragons at its core.”
James and Oliver Phelps Fred and George Weasley
“Do North American fans differ much from British fans?” Oliver asks. “Fans are pretty similar overall, but North American fans tend to be more outgoing. There haven’t been any significant negative experiences.”
“Have you managed to take any souvenirs from the joke shop?” James replies. “A few things found their way into my bag during tours across Europe. I even pulled out a Puking Pastie at one airport, and the staff were puzzled by it.”
“Your haircuts have changed a lot during the films. Which ones did you like best?” Oliver says, “The longer look between the third and fourth films happened by accident. Looking back, it seems odd, but at the time I thought it looked cool. Our natural hair color is brown, and dyeing it back to orange took several hours.” James adds, “If anything, we learned that hair dyeing is a recurring joke on set.”
“Which Bertie Bott beans do you like best?” James mutters that it is a kind of Russian roulette: you grab one and hope for the best. Oliver remembers a red pepper or chili bean that tasted fierce and left a strong memory.
“Is it hard to watch yourself in the earlier films?” James admits some cringe, noting that the first two films often appear on television during holiday marathons, inviting playful messages from friends and family.
Dave Legeno Fenrir Greyback
“Your character is pretty scary. What scares you?” Legeno jokes that spiders are a real fear, recalling a vintage scare from a favorite classic about a tarantula on screen, which lingered long after.
“Is it strange to see a toy of yourself?” He says it does feel odd, especially when the figure seems almost perfectly formed. He jokes about whether the real proportions match the toy and admits the face on the figure is not quite right.
“Which young actor most surprised you?” Legeno replies that every child actor impressed him, but Tom Felton stood out. The kids are kind, grounded, and without airs, despite their fame. It is a rare, refreshing thing to witness.
With thanks to Jessie Cave, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, James and Oliver Phelps, and Dave Legeno for sharing their memories of the series and its Blu-ray release.