The cameras began rolling for Harry Potter And
The Prisoner Of Azkaban on 24 February, but its glitzy premiere
will not happen until next year.
However, Chris, who plays head boy Percy Weasley,
has given us the lowdown on what's happening at Hogwarts.
Graham Barnard spoke to him on the first day of
filming. Chris, 19, revealed that this sequel is far scarier than
the last two and and he talked about what his life is like as a
jobbing actor.
What happens in this film?
Basically like the first and second one, Harry is still back at
Hogwarts school with his friends Ron and Hermione.
He starts by having an argument with his uncle
and aunt and runs away from home and gets the bus, the magic bus
called the night bus, to London where he meets up with his friends
and he then goes back to school.
There's lots of scary stuff happening. A guy escapes
from the prison which is called Azkaban and they reckon he's after
Harry for reasons I will not tell you because it will give away
the story.
It sounds a bit darker than the first two films.
By far. It's a lot scarier than the first two.
Your character Percy is the head boy, but what
does he get up to this time?
Not a lot this time. It's quite nice, he's taken
a bit of a back seat because in the last two he was just a prefect
but in this one he becomes head boy so he's still there and being
as pompous and keeping order on things - but from a distance this
time, which is good.
Have you learnt all your lines?
I don't know how I do it to be honest. It just
happens - it goes in, I look at it, it's there.
Where is it being filmed?
Most of my stuff is going to be at the studios
- called Leavesden Studios - just outside Watford which is actually
where I am at the moment in a hotel in St Albans.
What have you been up to since the last film?
Well, the last film I finished shooting in June.
I've been playing it a bit quietly. Obviously we had the premiere
for it and then straight into pantomime over Christmas which was
fantastic.
Since then I've been taking it nice and quietly
and have had a bit of a break. I'm just starting to rehearse for
a play at Little Sheringham Theatre which I'm doing at the end of
March.
Can you believe that you are one of the stars
of the Harry Potter films?
It's beginning to sink in now but it's still tremendous
fun. I absolutely love doing them.
Do we have the same actor playing Harry Potter?
Yes, we do. Daniel's still doing it. The main cast
- apart from the late great Harris - everybody who was playing a
character is still playing them.
Who's replacing Richard [Harris] this time around?
I'm not sure. I've heard and read that Sir Michael
Gambon is doing it but whether that's true or not I don't know.
I'd be lost for words if I found myself in the
presence of all these great British actors, do you get in awe of
them or is it everyday to you?
It was quite daunting to start with but they're
just normal people I've discovered. Very, very civil and amazingly
talented people. It's wonderful to work with them.
It's half past godness knows what know on the
first day of filming, how's the schedule?
It depends on how big a day it is. Today I'm only
doing costume fittings and hair and make-up so it won't be too harsh.
I'm going to be there all day but it won't be too bad.
If I'm doing a big scene, like a Great Hall scene,
we'd have started filming at eight and we'd finish at five or six
in the evening.
Chris at work at the UCI cinema in Norwich. |
Are you still working at the cinema in Norwich?
I haven't done so since the pantomime finished
but I'll be going back in the next couple of weeks.
That's what I admire about you: you are big
time but you're not.You're still happy
to work in the cinema in Norwich.
I love it. It's such a good job!
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