When the cast of the Harry Potter film franchise reunited for a 20th anniversary TV special Return to Hogwarts, many recalled embarrassing moments, including haircuts, and a first kiss.
At the reunion on the Leavesden set outside London, the obvious stars were those who played Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.
Radcliffe, now 32, was cast when he was just 11 years old as the orphan with magical abilities. He would always be willing to discuss the films, he said.
“Every part of my life is connected to Potter and to Leavesden. My first kiss is connected to someone here, my first girlfriends were here… It all spirals out from the Potter set somewhere.”
He looks back on the hairstyles that he and Rupert sported in the Harry Potter films, which often featured overgrown hair. Like Radcliffe, Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint was also cast – in his case, to play Ron Weasley – when he was 11.
He asserts: “My one bone to pick with Mike Newell, is that every year when we left for the film, we finished a film, they said “Don’t cut your hair over the summer, we’ll cut it when you get back, and we’ll decide what they want to do.”
“And me and Rupert both dutifully grew our hair for months, and then came in, and he was like: Great!”
“And we’re like: “No, no no no no. You’re not leaving us like this? We’re supposed to be becoming teenagers and dating girls in this film. That, you can’t? That’s not what it’s going to be is it?”
“So I think we were pretty devastated as we realised that it was. But still, I still love the man!”
Actors Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), and others join Radcliffe, Grint, Watson (Hermione), and Columbus for the reunion.
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, said she was overwhelmed with emotion at the reunion after so many years.
“You know, some of us haven’t seen each other for years, and so it’s just been a joy, and like an unexpected joy.”
“I really didn’t know how I would feel. I felt quite overwhelmed this morning, and then I’ve just been really pleasantly surprised by just getting to relive it all.”
In the latter part of the video, Emma speaks sincerely as she asserts: “When things get dark and times are really hard, there’s something about Harry Potter that makes life richer.”
Rupert tells Emma: “There’s a strong bond that we’ll always have,’ before they share a hug and are joined by Daniel.”
Sitting in the Gryffindor common room as the iconic trio, Rupert tells his former co-stars: “We’re family. We’ll always be part of each other’s lives.”
The most notable absentee from the star-studded turnout of the reunion is J.K. Rowling, author of the eight-movie franchise. She will appear in archival footage.
Return To Hogwarts premieres on HBO Go in Singapore & Malaysia on Jan 1.
/TISG