Feature: Harry Potter & Chamber of Secrets

Harry’s War

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint talk about their continuing roles in the second Harry Potter film.

October 22, 2002. The time is precisely 11:30am. The location is the Essex House Hotel in New York City. The three young leads of one of the most eagerly-awaited sequels in history sit on a raised podium facing a pack of hungry journalists dying to know more about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The adolescent actors are all very well behaved. Emma Watson, the bright and brainy Hermione, is unsurprisingly smart and sharp. Rupert Grint, Harry’s comic sidekick and best friend Ron is very funny but prone to short answers, and, in many ways like Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe is exceptionally well-spoken, being both at once playful and serious.

Can each of you pick one thing that you think will happen for your characters later on in the books?
Watson: She will be something really clever. She’ll be a doctor or something. She’ll be really academic in her job.
Radcliffe: Does it have to be about my character? I think these two (Hermione and Ron) are going to get together. That’s my prediction.
Grint: I was going to say I hope [Ron and Hermione] don’t fall for each other!

Can you describe the kind of fan mail you get? Are any of the letters particularly funny or creep you out?
Radcliffe: I’m just amazed at the amount of effort [people give their letter-writing efforts]. Around my birthday I got lots of presents. Just the effort that was put into them was unbelievable. It’s so amazing.
Watson: For my birthday someone gave me a massive, big, white cuddly bear about as big as me! They sent it in the post to me. I think that was completely amazing if they’ve never met me. It was really weird.
Grint: It was my sister’s birthday and somebody got her something as well!

Chris Columbus won’t be directing the next film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Are you excited about having a new director? Maybe a little nervous?
Radcliffe: I think the most important thing to mention is that Chris is still going to be around. He’s going to be the producer, so he’s still going to be there. I think with the new director it’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be a different and a new experience.
Watson: Daniel said everything I want to say. But Chris is still going to be there, so it’s not like he’s going forever. Alfonso [Cuarón] is a really, really nice guy and I think it’s really exciting to be working with somebody new as well.
Grint: I’m going to miss Chris as well, but he’s always going to be around and Alfonso is really good.

by Dana Tyler

There's more from the three stars in
Film Review (Dec)

Photo © Warner Bros
Feature © Visual Imagination 2002. Not for reproduction

Taken from

Film Review (Dec)
#625, December 2002
ships from Nov 7 2002
News-stand Price
UK £3.00 / US $7.95

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