Moniqueblog, a Web site managed by Monique Jones (an artist and journalist), has posted a great article detailing why the character of Draco Malfoy is so attractive to Harry Potter fans.
The first reason, of course, is Tom Felton. 😉
J.K.R. has stated how it scares her to have fans speaking highly of Draco after watching the movies. “People have been waxing lyrical [in letters] about Draco Malfoy, and I think that’s the only time when it stopped amusing me and started almost worrying me,” she said in a 2005 interview. “I’m trying to clearly distinguish between Tom Felton, who is a good-looking young boy, and Draco, who, whatever he looks like, is not a nice man. It’s a romantic, but unhealthy…” This might sound like a backhanded compliment, but having Tom Felton as the supposed “slimy git” might have not been the best choice if J.K.R. wants readers to distinguish Draco the Character from Tom Felton the Person. As a member of the female gender, I’ll be the first to admit that Tom Felton is an attractive young man (and a terrific actor). People tend to respond better to good-looking people, and Felton’s looks help the audience to sympathize with Draco and even excuse many of his deep character flaws (I’m not saying that’s necessarily a good thing, but that’s just human nature). Attractiveness and a bad attitude is always a fatal combination that sends girls to the moon and causes boys to idolize.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Additionally, Monique has posted a nice revoew of the movie, including her impressions of Tom:
Personally, I was jumping on the inside when I finally saw Draco break down in the bathroom on screen (even though some girl sitting behind me laughed through the scene). And to see him hesitate to kill Dumbledore when he had the chance was just icing on the cake. The fact that Draco didn’t kill Dumbledore shows that while he may have perverse ideas about life and people’s place in it, he still has the ability to change.
More Monique articles about Draco:
Thanks @moniquej88
WHOO! Thanks so much you guys for putting my articles on feltbeats.com. WHOO!! I’ll be updating my “Worth of Draco” series often, so feel free to use them if you want to. Thanks again!
ou gosh..he cried like 4 times in the movie!! the bathroom scene was the most distinct 1. Tom is such an amazing actor that he actually made me feel bad 4 draco!! i jus wanted 2 jump in the screen..knock harry down nd give draco a big caring hug!!!
Enjoyed reading the 3 you have so far. Can’t wait for more.
gotta love a bad boy tom did a great job portraying draco and he is completely different person then his character i tottaly agree he did show he could changes props to tom!!
I agree with the article – Tom did an amazing job in the movie~ and really portrayed him the way I felt he was portrayed in the movie. An extremely torn individual.
Can’t wait to see what Tom brings in DH I & II!
<3
Shan
ah well…who doesnt love a sexy villian? =D reason one totally sums it all up
i havent watched the move yet (CRIME!!!!!) but im looking forward to the draco parts!! and of course…i live for harry potter
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i cried so much when i saw draco looking at dumbledore saying “i was chosen for this” and the bathroom seen i felt liek woah draoc has feelings O_O then when he was looking terrified while the death eaters and bella lestrange was going crazy with glee and torching everything in sight PURE FEAR i lvoed it made me cry a lot(im so redundent) but anyway i felt closer to draco cuz u kinda saw the deeper said of him
then apparently (according to jkr at least) i did something wrong because i’ve always liked draco malfoy, even before the films… lol.
Thanks, Marianne! Check my site (mljblog.wordpress.com)to read my next installment. It should be up between now and Sunday.
Thanks a lot for this in-depth character’s analysis, Monique. You’re truly doing Draco justice, here. God Bless You.
With Love,
Sam.
Gee whiz! Thanks, Samantha.
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For those interested, the next installment of “The worth of Draco Malfoy” is up. This time, I’m tackling how Scorpius might have grown up with Draco as a father. Check mljblog.wordpress.com if you want to read it.
Thanks for the link. I just read the review but I think I disagree about Draco being the anti-hero. I think Snape was an anti-hero. Draco, as alluring his character is, was always a coward although he showed some redeeming qualities in DH. His character is interesting because he’s neither the archetypal villain nor the archetypal anti-hero. He falls somewhere in between. I’ve always had a mixture of hate and sympathy for him.
Other than that, great analysis.
My opinion of Draco in no way echoes what I think of Tom Felton. I think Tom’s was the most honest portrayal of Draco Malfoy we HP fans could have asked for. He is a brilliant actor, especially considering he’s such a nice guy in real life. He def has a lot of potential to have a successful post HP career. His acting was the best thing about HP6 for me.
I know,right? Hell yeah!
Hmmm I slightly disagree with this, even Draco in the book has obviously been forced to do these evil things. I mean, wouldn’t you if Voldemort was threatening to kill you and your family? (HBP SPOILERS) And it was obvious from the beginning that he wasn’t actually going to kill Dumbledore.
Even before I saw the films I had a lot of sympathy for Draco, and I believe even if it hadn’t been Tom Felton playing him I still would have felt that sympathy.
Yes, Draco has some serious character flaws, his prejudice against muggleborns and his tendancy to bully others to name a few, but who you are (as Dumbledore once said) is defined by your CHOICES. And as Tom Felton himself has said on several occasions – Draco never had any.
But I must agree that TF was amazing as Draco – exactly as I always imagined it! The Astronomy Tower scene and Sectumsempra in particular… well done!
well, you dont want voldie to know about it 😉
I feel the same way! Ever since reading HBP and Deathly Hallows I’ve felt very sympathetic to his character. I always thought that’s what JK Rowling was trying to portray. That although Draco may have seemed like a slimy bully before, he had the potential to be a better person. It didn’t help that his parents were Death Eaters either. Even in the early books I still enjoyed his character. I kept hoping that he might redeem himself in some way at the end. But Toms performance just made me like him even more! I was surprised when I read that she was worried about people liking him. That he was”not a nice man”. I thought she was trying to make us like him more until now!
he’s SUCH a charmer!
The wikipedia definition of an antihero says: “An antihero or antiheroine is a leading character in a story who, unlike a traditional hero, lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, and morality.” According to this definition, one can suppose that Draco Malfoy was really an anti hero, his character fits into this perfectly. Talking about Snape, I am sure that he falls into the category of an archetypal Byronic hero, instead of an anti hero.
And, yes, I agree that Tom Felton did absolute justice to Draco Malfoy’s role on screen.
Wow, this was a really well-written post. Taking time and actual effort to make a very good article is very rare these days.
Wow, I enjoyed your terrific article!