>> HOGWARTS HIGH FLYERS
As the fifth year at Hogwarts beckons, Beccy Matthews looks at the three young stars of the Potter phenomenon and ponders the million-dollar question - is there life after Harry?
Harry Potter and
the Order of the
Phoenix, the
fifth film in the
astronomically
successful
wizardry franchise, will cast its
sensational spell over cinema
screens from 13th July.
Following in the footsteps of
Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron
and Mike Newell, British director
David Yates is charged with the
momentous task of bringing
the fifth book in JK Rowling’s
series to the screen with the
style, suspense and sterling
performances the book demands.
You Potter fans probably know
the Phoenix plot better than you
know your own siblings, but for
those of you who don’t necessarily
know your Sirius Black from your
Severus Snape, I’ll divulge the
basic plot details and whet your
appetite for a serious Potter fest.
In this next scintillating chapter,
Harry returns for his fifth year
at Hogwarts. His dismay at
discovering most of the wizarding
community is in denial about his
recent encounter with the be-
robed, flat-nosed wonder - the evil
Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes)
- is heightened further with the
arrival of Professor Dolores
Umbridge (Imelda Staunton).
Suspecting that Albus Dumbledore
(Michael Gambon) is fabricating
Voldemort’s return in order to
undermine his power, Minister of
Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert
Hardy), appoints Defence Against
the Dark Arts teacher Umbridge
to keep a watchful eye over
Dumbledore and his students.
But the dark forces are
encroaching further on the
wizarding community. And while
Umbridge’s inadequate course of
defensive magic leaves the young
wizards totally unprepared to
defend themselves, Harry realises
it is down to him to arm his fellow
students. He forms ‘Dumbledore’s
Army’, a small group of students
who meet secretly for lessons in
defence against the forces that
threaten them in preparation for
the climactic battle looming on the
horizon. Stirring stuff eh?
The usual who’s who of British
thesping are present and correct
for your entertainment pleasure,
with lovies Helena Bonham-Carter
and Imelda Staunton joining the
all-star selection. And of course,
The Order of the Phoenix reunites
young British starlets Daniel
Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma
Watson as the irrepressible trio of
Harry, Ron and Hermione.
And my, haven’t they grown?
We have witnessed the three actors struggle along the perilous path of puberty, transforming from the teeny, geeky kids at primary school to adored young adults with hair, height and the world at their feet. As the release of the seventh and final Potter book beckons and stores across the country bay for your pre-order, the end of the Potter film franchise looms ever nearer on the horizon. Although it may be a few years off yet, the young stars have already launched their mission to crack their Potter moulds and avoid the pitfalls of typecasting. Will they sidestep the curse of many a child star who’s gone before them? Let us see…
Daniel Radcliffe
London-born Daniel Radcliffe will forever be synonymous with his bespectacled wizard alter ego. With the 2001 release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the 12-
year-old actor was catapulted to the stratospheric heights of international fame – at once, his face becoming one of the most recognisable on the planet, and as closely bound to the Potter phenomenon as JK Rowling herself.
Arguably the bravest attempt to
shed his gown and wand persona,
17-year-old Daniel Radcliffe has
recently been seen on the West
End stage in the starring role of
Equus. He played Alan Strang,
a psychologically challenged
teenager with a pathological
fascination with horses. When
it was disclosed that Radcliffe
was to appear naked on stage,
it prompted a furore across the
nation as images of the not-so-
little Harry Potter emblazoned
newspapers and tongues across
the nation wagged at the sight of
the boy wizard’s manly physique.
This cleverly engineered and stark
(or err, starkers) digression from
his wizard stereotype has provided
the young actor with rave reviews,
a fresh perception of his abilities
as an actor, and quite possibly a
platform for life after Harry.
Horse-play aside, this year also sees Radcliffe taking a leading role in an independent feature film. Set in 1960s’ Australia, December Boys follows the story of four orphan boys who find themselves competing for the home and family they all yearn for. Later this year Radcliffe will also star in ITV drama My Boy Jack, the tragic tale of Rudyard Kipling’s 17-year-old son who died during the First World War.
Radcliffe has signed up to play Harry for the rest of the franchise; he will star in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due for release in 2008 and the final fling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is scheduled for release in 2010. We might have seen rather a lot of this young man already, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re going to be seeing a fair bit more yet.
Rupert Grint
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released back in 2001,
Rupert Grint captured many
a heart as Harry’s lovable best
friend, Ron Weasley. Marking
his screen debut, Grint’s acting
credits pre-Potter had been limited
to school plays and local theatre
group productions. In actual fact,
it was after watching an appeal
by a casting director on BBC’s
Newsround that he decided to
audition for the role of Ron.
Grint followed up his Potter
success with a starring role
as Alan A. Allen in 2002’s
Thunderpants. Alongside great
talents such as Stephen Fry and
Paul Giamatti, the young hot
shot played an 11-year-old boy
with an amazing ability to break
wind. While the film’s market was
restricted to children and young
men with an over-developed
penchant for toilet humour,
Thunderpants marked the fledgling
actor making a foray into the
acting world beyond his guise as Ron Weasley, and a taste of
more thesping to come.
Another leading role alongside a British acting legend came in 2006’s Driving Lessons. The moving coming-of-age tale sees Grint play shy teenager Ben Marshall, who’s world is severely rocked when he goes to work for eccentric retired actress Evie Walton, played by the fabulous Julie Walters. Grint has recently signed up
to complete the Harry Potter
franchise. Now a ginger icon
across the globe, it appears
the versatile and charismatic
Hertfordshire-born actor has a bright future before him.
Emma Watson
Another young star plucked from obscurity, a number of school productions constituted Oxford schoolgirl Emma Watson’s only acting experience prior to her professional debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. On turning up to the Potter audition with her friends “for a giggle”, Watson was deemed perfect for the role of Harry and Ron’s serious, studious and feisty female compatriot, Hermione Granger.
Although speculation has been rife that Watson was ready to quit the Potter movies, it now appears the young actress will see out the franchise. “I want to play something totally different,” she comments. “I want to play every kind of character and every point of view, but I’m probably going to be playing Hermione for a while.” Watch this space for the next installment in the Emma Watson story. With looks and talent in the bag, it could well be a tantalizing tale.
Beccy Matthews