All on the new Harry Potter

Cool! Quebec Magazine Interview 2003 French Translation :

The releasing of the second part of the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is well-anticipated. And its main actor, Daniel Radcliffe, has a great deal of pressure to cope with. Since he was chosen amongst thousands of little boys to embody Harry Potter, the young actor has to split his time between school and shooting sets. In spite of his success, he is still the same. After all, it's under this condition that his parents let him be under the spotlights.

Daniel, when did you start getting interested to be an actor?

I really got it during the shooting of the movie David Copperfield, in which I had the main part.

Do you think you've changed since you played Harry Potter.

As a person, no. I've probably matured, like everyone my age. As an actor, I think I've evolved a lot, thanks to the producer, Chris Colombus. I think we've all learned so much from him and now, he can ask us to accomplish harder things.

What do you and Harry Potter have in common?

Quite a few people can relate to him. As for me, I think we are both pretty curious… and that can sometimes get us in trouble. Like him, I'm not afraid of adversity and I'm able to defend my ideas. I think it's one of the best things about Harry.

Can it sometimes be hard to embody this young wizard?

Yes. Having this part is a huge responsibility, and I have quite some pressure on me. Chris Colombus has been so fantastic to me because he tried to make me forget it.

What does your family think of your carrier?

They are really happy for me, especially my father and mother, which are really involved in my professional life. Some people think that since I'm an actor, I see them less often but it's not true. They support me in everything I do.

What is your favorite scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

I really love the ones in the chamber of secrets itself, because of their epic traits and the intensity of the dialogues. I adore the scenes where I speak parseltongue (snake language) because it's a completely different way to communicate. I also love when there's a lot of extras.

How did Harry grown since the first movie?

Harry realizes that something's wrong and he wants get involve in it. In the first one, he doesn't really know what's going on and he's just reacting to the events. In the second one, he is directly involved in the action. I think it's a deeper side of him.

Aside from Harry, who is your favorite character in the movie?

I really like the new defense against the dark arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart because he has kind of a split-personality. It must be an interesting part to play. The way Kenneth Branagh got into his role really impressed me.

Do you believe in magic?

Yes, certainly. I don't really know in what shape it appears but I think it's something stronger than us.

If you could use one magic power, which one would it be?

I would like to be invisible so I could sneak into certain concerts…

IF you could turn yourself in any animal, which one would you like it to be?

I would like it to be a wolf, my favorite animal. It's a beautiful animal and at the same time really dangerous. I don't know what that reveals about me! (Laughs)

What do you do when you're not interpreting Harry?

I love to watch movies, listen to music and read. Oh yeah! I love to watch the Simpsons. It's my favorite show! I could also tell you some of the lines I know by heart!

What do you like the most about the success of Harry Potter?

The premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was an unforgettable experience! I even met Ben Stiller!

What do you think about when you were walking across the red carpet, with thousands of cameras surrounding you?

My face was actually shaking. It never happened to me before! I was so surprised that, for a moment, I lost my memory and forgot why people were taking pictures of me…

Which one is your favorite Harry Potter?

It used to be the second one because of the action. But I just reread the third one, the one where Harry learns quite a lot about his past. It gives the story a pretty emotional dimension. It will be a great challenge for me.

If you weren't an actor, what would you like to do?

Produce movies or write.

What will you do when the shooting of all the Harry Potter movies will be over?

One thing at a time! I'll think about it at that moment.

Second page

Personal information about the actors

Daniel Radcliffe
(Harry Potter)

Full name: Daniel Alan Radcliffe
Nickname: Dan
Date of birth: July 23, 1989
Astrological sign: Cancer
Parents: His father, Alan, is a literary agent
and his mother, Marcia, is a casting agent.
Siblings: Like Harry, Daniel is an only child
Pets: He has two Colley dogs, Binka and Nugget.
Favorite sport: He likes to play soccer (football).
What we should know about him:
- He likes to play tricks,
- He was in the bathtub when his father came in and
yelled: "Guess who's going to play Harry Potter?".
He then cried of joy. He says it's the best moment of
his life.
- He doesn't like cakes.

For Pottermaniacs only

Warning: this section contains a vocabulary only people who belong to the wizarding world can understand. If you do not understand these works, it means you're a recalcitrant muggle… What are you waiting to read the book for??

A few words on the author

All Harry Potter fans know a lot about its author, Johanne Kathleen Rowling. She wrote her first manuscripts in some Edimbourg coffee houses. Today, the four volumes of the adventures of the young wizard are traduced in 31 languages and are sold at more than 66 millions of copies all over the world. J.K. Rowling is now one of the most rich woman of her country. Who said magic didn't exist?

The fifth volume…

Admirers of Harry Potter can't wait till the releasing of the fifth volume, continuously postponed. We know the title will be Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but we still don't know when it will be out. Since J.K. Rowling got married and was pregnant recently, the releasing will probably be postponed again… till summer 2003!
While waiting, some researches made us discover some rumors concerning the fifth year of Harry at Hogwarts. Obviously, it's impossible to say if they are true or not; we'll only know when the author will be finished with the writing of her fifth Harry Potter book.
- The Order of the Phoenix is rumored to be an association of all the most powerful
wizards of the world.
- The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could be a woman, even Arabella figs,
Harry's guardian, who is a witch.
- There could be a love story between Hermione and Ron.
- We learn more about Harry's parents.

Theories and hypothesis

By searching Harry Potter on the Web, we discovered that there are numerous theories surrounding our favorite wizard. They may not be true, but they're still interesting.

Harry, heir of Godric Gryffindor?

Many think that Harry may be the heir of Godric Gryffindor because when he bought his wand at Ollivanders, red and golden streams (Gryffindor's colors) came out of it.

Snape, a vampire?

Snape, which is often compared to a bat, would be a vampire? Some clues lead to that conclusion. In the third book, Lupin asked his students to make a report about vampires. Did he wish to reveal something about the nature of Snape by giving this homework? We also know that Lupin was a werewolf. And professor Quirrell, from the first book, was himself scared of vampires. Is it a coincidence that he was putting garlic in his turban?

Voldemort vs Harry

Why Voldemort hates Harry so much? It could be that, to become immortal, he had to destruct his human side. He could have separated from it by materializing under the shape of Harry Potter so he can then destruct him. Then, if Lord Voldemort attacked is human part with the Avada Kadavra (the death curse), he would be casting a spell on himself. That's why the curse was backfired… (hum...)