Another new interview – Tom Felton talks about ‘Full Circle’ and more

The Columbus Dispatch has published another new interview with Tom Felton. Ian Spelling from New York Times Syndicate talked with him about Full Circle and more.

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Much to his satisfaction, Tom Felton has discovered life after Harry Potter.

The young British actor played the devious Draco Malfoy in all seven films of the series, spanning 2001 to 2011.

He has worked steadily since, turning up recently in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Apparition (2012) and two episodes of the upcoming miniseries Full Circle.

And he has several additional projects in the hopper.

“Going back awhile, even to the fourth and fifth Potter films,” Felton said, “I don’t remember actively thinking, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ It was never something that I embraced and thought, ‘I really want to do this.’”

At that point, though, he began thinking about his future, he said.

“It was probably during the sixth film, when I was 18 or 19, that I had an appreciation for, A, how lucky I was and, B, for what I was doing. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the process.

“So I think after that is when I really started focusing on how I was going to be able to continue doing this.”

The way the 26-year-old Felton sees it, the Potter movies opened doors.

“A project like Full Circle is really the complete opposite of Harry Potter, and, hopefully, it will further my options and keep other doors opening for me,” he said.

Created by writer Neil LaBute, Full Circle unfolds in a restaurant called Ellipsis. Each episode follows two people, with one story — and one character — carrying over to the next. In addition to Felton, the impressive cast includes David Boreanaz, Billy Campbell, Cheyenne Jackson, Minka Kelly, Julian McMahon, Keke Palmer, Ally Sheedy and Kate Walsh.

DirecTV will launch the 10-episode series next Wednesday with “Tim & Bridgette.” Tim (Felton) meets Bridgette (Kelly) at Ellipsis for one last dinner before he heads home to England and back to college. He’d stay, though, if only he could persuade her to leave her husband, Stanley (McMahon) — who appears in the second episode. Felton also returns for the final episode.

“I read the first episode before understanding fully the entire concept,” Felton said from a Los Angeles hotel. “I was massively excited when they explained it to me because it does take some explaining. It’s a unique concept and a unique scenario.

“Of course I couldn’t resist reading all 10 episodes to understand how lives can interlink without you even being conscious of it. I’d never read anything even remotely close to this.”

Felton jokes that he was brought up as an actor surrounded by huge green screens and looking at big orange X’s on the wall, pretending they were dragons or fireballs.

Ellipsis, however, couldn’t be further removed from Hogwarts.

“This was just two characters talking intensely at their table, without any real stage direction, and just relying on the performance,” Felton said. “That was a huge appeal to me, and that’s also what kind of terrified me, to be honest.”

Another major difference between a Harry Potter film and Full Circle is time.

Felton, used to filming perhaps 20 to 30 seconds of footage through an entire day, shot his scene for “Tim & Bridgette” — all 25 minutes’ worth — in a single day.

Felton shot the Full Circle finale months ago, and, at this point, he is simply doing what he can to tease it without dropping spoilers.

“The whole season has a tone and a feel to it,” he said, “but the 10th episode just turns everything on its head.

“It’s a high-energy, very, very intense ending.”

Audio Interview: Daily Actor talks to Tom Felton about Full Circle

Daily Actor has posted a new interview with Tom Felton, where he talks about Full Circleleaving Harry Potter behind, and exactly what one does at the dinner table.

The full interview – which is well worth a listen – can be heard online, and also be downloaded as a podcast through iTunes.

Kristyn Burtt’s write-up can be read below:

Neil LaBute is making his television debut on Oct. 9 on DIRECTV with the series Full Circle. The award-winning screenwriter and playwright takes afascinating approach to telling the story.

The 10-episode series will take place in one location and feature a conversation between two characters sitting in a restaurant. One character’s storyline will continue into the next episode with the introduction of a new character until the returns to the beginning episode and completes the full circle.

Kicking off the series is Tom Felton, best known to audiences for his portrayal of  Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise. In Full Circle, his character Tim is having an affair with married woman Bridgette, played by Minka Kelly. Their discussion is the final meeting between the two lovers as Kelly’s character must choose between two vastly different lives.

Daily Actor sat down with Felton to talk about his choice to do American television and the challenges for an actor who spent years working with a green screen.

The British actor explained why he chose to work with LaBute who is known for his formidable dialogue.

He said, “Neil’s writing, obviously, is incredibly unique. I’ve read lots and lots of things over the last year but you can almost tell it was Neil just on the first three pages. And I think for any actor to have that sort of situation where it’s just literally this 25 minutes, that was the terrifying aspect and also the one that ultimately was hugely rewarding when we filmed it.”

Taking on projects like Full Circle was important to the 26-year-old star because he wanted to avoid the pitfalls of transitioning from child actor to adult actor.

“I feel incredibly lucky that it’s seriously been pretty seamless. I feel incredibly grateful that my character in Harry Potter aesthetically looked quite differently to how I do today and he was a nasty guy. But he was not a nice guy, so most people when they meet me, a director or a casting director, they kind of half expect you to be that guy I guess. So when I come in and I’m remotely friendly they’re like, ‘Oh, ok. So you’re not the evil wizard.’ So that’s oddly helped me in some respects…There’s no burden,” said Felton.

The subtleties of LaBute’s work also became an acting school lesson for the Brit because it was so drastically different from the work he did in Planet of the Apes or Harry Potter.

“… Generally you read a 25-page script, there’s usually a page or two of stage directions. X and Y happens or someone stands up, someone throws something, whatever. Nothing happens. I mean, the waiter comes over a couple of times and they go for the burger or the chip and that was it,” Felton said. “So it really left itself to a lot of …what do you do at a dinner table? Are you tapping your hand, you go for the salt shaker or whatever?”

He continued, “So that was kind of unique going back to the improv part of it. Although the dialogue [wasn’t improv]… it was odd for me just to sit there and not do something.”

The experience was a rewarding one though and the actor hopes to dive into more projects like Full Circle. He understands the benefits that great writing brings to him, not only professionally, but personally.

Felton shared, “Anything that terrifies me that makes me think, ‘I can’t do this,’ and [then] to have someone else go, ‘Yeah, you can. Give it a go. Give it a go.’ Ultimately, that’s kind of why I’m doing this job because, you know, if it’s too safe then there’s definitely no satisfaction or fun at the end of it. Something like this, there’s no mistaking myself.”

Full Circle debuts on DIRECTV on Oct. 9 at 9:00 p.m.

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Video – Tom Felton : “I’m a big Directioner.”

Yesterday we reported here from the premiere of Tom’s film “Therese” at the TIFF. Josh Horowitz from MTV interviewed Tom, along with Elizabeth Olsen. Josh, Tom and Elizabeth chatted about Niall Horan from the music band One Direction

Note: Niall said in an interview that he would like to be played by Tom in a film biography of the band.

Enjoy the video 😉

 

Here is another video with Tom – Josh spoke with Elizabeth:

 

BTW, we have many photos of Tom from yesterday in our gallery. Click here!

Fox Searchlight To Release Belle In North America And UK

Deadline is reporting that Fox Searchlight has now secured the rights to”Belle” for release in North America and the U.K. The movie stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Sarah Gadon, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Felton and Matthew Goode.They are expecting to release in Spring of 2014.

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LOS ANGELES, CA July 1, 2013 – Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula announced today that the company has acquired most worldwide rights including North America and the United Kingdom to BELLE, inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle. Directed by BAFTA Award winner Amma Asante and written by Misan Sagay, BELLE features Gugu Mbatha-Raw in her first starring role along with Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson, Academy Award nominee Emily Watson, Sarah Gadon, Penelope Wilton, Academy Award nominee Miranda Richardson, Tom Felton and Matthew Goode. The film was produced by Damian Jones. The film is scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.

“Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a revelation as Belle, she gives a brave and powerful performance joined by an outstanding ensemble cast and we look forward to introducing her to film audiences everywhere. We were entranced by this inspiring story of love and perseverance during a time of significant social and legal changes,” said Gilula and Utley.

“The experience and sensibilities of the team at Fox Searchlight make it a wonderful match for BELLE. I am so pleased their passion for this film means it now has the ability to be seen by audiences worldwide. We’ve worked hard to turn historical facts of the life of a true pioneer into a compelling and moving cinema experience,” said Asante.

“We are thrilled this magnificent film has found the perfect home. The Fox Searchlight team’s understanding of the film and its potential makes for an incredibly exciting journey through release and beyond,” said Jones.

BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

The deal was brokered by Fox Searchlight’s Vice President of Acquisitions Ray Strache, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Megan O’Brien and Executive Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions Tony Safford with Bankside Films’ Co-Managing Director Hilary Davis and Head of Sales & Marketing Stephen Kelliher and Christos Michaels of Lee & Thompson, as well as Steve Christian on behalf of Isle of Man Film and Pinewood Pictures. The film was developed by the BFI Film Fund which also backed production, alongside Isle of Man Film, Pinewood Pictures, Head Gear Films and Metrol Technology.

 

For more on Tom Felton’s character, check out our exclusive interview with him from last years NY Comic Con where he gives us a little sneak peek into the film.