Tom Felton discusses friendship with Daniel Radcliffe in Cinemania

Just last week we reported that Mexico’s Cinemanía magazine had a new feature on Tom and the rest of the HP crew, and that we would let you know if a translation became available. Well, that day has arrived.

Tom’s interview in this lengthy feature was given back during the filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the interview, Tom discusses playing the baddie, working with director David Yates, and how he and Daniel share a love of music and cricket.

It must be more interesting to play the bad guy.
Thanks for agreeing with me. Definitely. In real life I’m not like Draco,
so it’s fun to be like someone who is completely different from me.

How hard did you work on going from Harry’s pain in the butt to an actual murderer?

The director and I talked a lot about it. Obviously Draco loses his father, he’s alone, he wants to show his independence and he’s the Chosen One. He’s been very jealous of Harry all his life, he’s been jealous of the attention he gets, and now it’s the opportunity to show what he’s really capable of. But at the same time he’s terrified and deep down he knows he can’t do what he’s been assigned to do. So there’s a very strong conflict of emotions. To me it’s a challenge because I have to think deeper about my performance. It’s not all about putting a mean face for Harry.

What’s the difference between the previous directors and this new director?

I don’t have any experience in directing, so I don’t know what makes them good. But each of them has had their strengths. David is humble, quiet, and personal. He’s not very lavish and he makes you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Did he ask for anything in particular when he directed you this time?

No, but I’m very thankful for the extra time he put into me and my character this time around. E spoke a lot about our character. David is trying to outline his complexity. This year Draco is not interested in bullying Harry. He’s got more serious stuff to pay attention to. For years he has been bullied by his father and that’s why he is the way he is. I wanted to show that side of him, not to make people feel sorry for him but to at least identify themselves with him. The best thing is that now I get to wear better clothes. Draco is very concerned about his style, and that’s part of his look as a villain.

Are you tired of playing the same character for such a long time?

No, on the contrary. I love coming back every year, seeing everyone again, how they’ve grown up, remembering how young we were in the first movie.

Really? And if you could go back in time and choose another character, what character would you choose?

Still my own. I feel so grateful. Draco has a very important part that is not boring at all, but I the same time I don’t get recognized as much as the others, so I can leave London without having any problems. Nobody has ever stopped me and asked for a picture with me. The blond hair is very telling, but with a hat it’s problem solved.

How is your relationship with Daniel Radcliffe?

We’re very good friends. Before I used to love saying we couldn’t stand each other, but in reality we get along great. We both love cricket and we talk about it a lot. We’re very passionate about music, although our taste in music is very different. He likes more underground and punk music.

To read additional interviews including one from director David Yates where he calls Tom “amazing,” click here. To see full scans of the magazine, visit Potterincantatem.

Thanks to HarryPotterla.com for the translation!

Source: Oh No They Didn’t

5 thoughts on “Tom Felton discusses friendship with Daniel Radcliffe in Cinemania

  1. From now on, post about anything in Spanish and where I might find it and I can do some quick, albeit a BIT rough, translations. I’m fairly fluent in it, so I’d be happy to help!

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