Category Archives: interviews

Interview: Tom Felton ready to thank fans at Supanova

Posted on by
2

As we reported here, Tom will be attending the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane and Adelaide, Australia this weekend and next weekend.
Louise O’Mara from The Toowoomba Chronicle spoke with Tom Felton about his last time in Australia, why he is looking forward to returning to Australia, Harry Potter and more.

BRITISH actor Tom Felton is nothing like his alter-ego Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series.

While he plays a spoiled, arrogant bully in all eight movies, he was actually incredibly friendly and humble while speaking to me from LA.

Felton will be returning to Brisbane this weekend for the pop culture convention Supanova and is looking forward to meeting his Aussie fans.

“I had a great time last time in Australia and seemed like we didn’t get to much time to meet everyone obviously, so they invited me back this year,” he said.

“I don’t need my arm twisted to come back to Australia – I’ve been really excited about it.

“People seem to think we started off to make eight films, and actually it was quite the opposite.

“It was only through the success and the support we had worldwide that we managed to stay there for the duration really. So I am always keen to come out to and say thank you personally.”

With hundreds of fans expected to line up at Supanova, Felton said it still surprises him just how popular the series is on despite the last movie being released over a year ago.

“It is quite incredible,” he said.

“I guess we all kind of expected people to move on slightly, but there are lots of people still keeping the Harry Potter flame burning so to speak.”

Another reason the actor is looking forward to returning to Australia is to catch up with his brother in Melbourne and maybe see some cricket.

“He’s been there about six years,” he said.

“He went out backpacking for six months and never came back. To be honest with you I don’t blame him, after my trip out there I could see why.

“I am looking forward to hearing his Australian accent.

Felton said he still pinches himself on just how lucky he was to play Draco Malfoy for 10 years.

“He is just so enjoyable,” he said.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss him. It was a great ability to vent all the frustration and anger of day to day life through him.

“He was very good fun and it got more interesting as the years got on, which was nice.

“(at the end of the series) there was an inkling of hope for him, a lot of it is left unsaid which is one of the beauties of the book.

“It is kind of left up to the audiences interpretation. It was nice to see some good side of him at least.”

And what is next for the 25-year-old?

“Right now I am working on an English period drama called Belle,” he said.

“A lot of the things I have been working on the release dates are a bit up in the air for next year, so lots of things to look forward to including a film called Therese and mini TV series Labyrinth.

“The one I am playing now is not such a nice guy. But I won’t lie, I do enjoy playing people that aren’t so friendly or nice.

“But I actually have some other chances to play other things as well, one quite heroic and one very sickly meek child type role, so very different and very contrasting and I am hoping that broadens my horizons.”

For any fans wondering if the actor has been sorted on the Pottermore website, he admitted he hadn’t got that far.

“We signed up ages ago when they first set up the website but I haven’t been sorted yet,” he laughed.

“I am still awaiting my destiny. I don’t think I could face it if it was anything but Slytherin to be honest with you.”

Online issue of ASOS with Tom Felton available

Posted on by
9

As we reported here, Tom is in the December issue of ASOS magazine. Now is an online issue available. Tom is on the pages 58 and 59. Click here.


The Draco effect – ‘It freaks people out when I’m friendly’

TOM FELTON
He was villainous Draco Malfoy
in the Harry Potter films,
and post Hogwarts the 25-year-old’s
acting talents still thrive on the dark side…

A horrible bastard.’ They’re not our words, they’re Tom Felton’s. He’s describing his latest role, in the upcoming film Belle. This ‘bastard’-ness seems to be a habit, what with the 10 years spent playing Hogwarts’ resident evil, Draco Malfoy, but it couldn’t be further from the truth when describing Felton. He chats easily, whipping out his phone to share pictures of his dog, and doesn’t once make you feel that you’re in the presence of someone most of us grew up watching.
‘I’m not a very villainous chap at heart,’ he says, with a grin. ‘So I do revel in it. I almost put on the friendliness a bit more when we’re off camera, so when you do go into a scene, hopefully you wake people up.’
The transition from child star to adult actor is not always easy, but Felton is doing it seamlessly. There’s the aforementioned Belle, upcoming movie Therese [an adaptation of the 19th century French novel, where Elizabeth Olsen plays his on-screen wife], and Labyrinth, a TV series in which he stars alongside Downton’s Jessica Brown Findlay. It seems to blow his mind, all of this success.
‘I was really nervous going into this,’ he says of his role in Therese, pulling on the sleeves of his grey sweatshirt. ‘There are only four main actors in the film, and to be one of them… I had to make sure I was up to their standards. For a while, I feared having been cast just because of what I’d done previously. But from doing other films since [Harry Potter], I feel confident in my ability to do this, which at some point, maybe I didn’t.
The Potter experience is a part of Felton’s life he’s obviously grateful for. Yesterday, he tells me, he went on the Harry Potter studio tour with a friend. ‘It’s odd, because I go everywhere without being stopped or even recognised,’ he says. ‘So then when you see someone’s face when they clock who you are, and especially when you’re friendly – because it freaks them out even more…
It’s kind of awkward, but only down to my own awkwardness, because I’m not used to it. But it’s a nice feeling, and there is an element of pride that you’ve made someone’s day.
‘When I was younger, my thoughts were, what am I missing out on? My friends are on a ski trip in the Alps and I’m stuck at Hogwarts. It’s only later that you realise, actually I was lucky to be missing out on that. So many people have said thank you for being a part of their childhood and, as cheesy as it sounds, that’s always nice to hear.’
Felton was 14 when the first Harry Potter film came out and, with eight in the franchise, he has walked his fair share of red carpets. He thanks his girlfriend, Jade, for helping him. ‘I’m lucky to have a very stylish better half,’ he laughs. ‘I get attached to things, and I’ll wear them every day for a month, until Jade’s like, will you stop wearing that bloody jumper! She’s been known to hide things from me, to keep me on a healthy cycle.
‘But I do have an appreciation for fashion. I remember getting a suit made for a premiere a few years ago, and thinking it was an incredibly elaborate thing to do, but when I wore it I felt a million dollars. I’m quite skinny so a lot of suits come up wide on me. But Tom Ford, J. Lindeberg and Burberry do some really nice ones.’
He’s also eyeing up a pair of Tom Ford glasses, and he’s got a thing for Band of Outsiders jumpers after he and Rupert Grint [Ron Weasley] starred in a campaign for the brand last year. As for his favourite looks on girls, less is more, he says. ‘I’m a big fan of effortlessness. There’s something attractive to me about an outfit that looks as if you’ve just thrown it on, and you’re not heavily plastered with make-up or jewels. Simple and classy.’ With that, it’s time for him to leave. He’s got shopping to do, and his dog to walk, and after getting him out of bed at 6am for our shoot, we should probably let him go. There are hugs for the whole team, and effusive thank yous. He may play a good ‘ bastard’, but he’s alright, that Tom Felton… ▪

credit: ASOS / photo credit: Matt Holyoak

The Wait Is Over! Feltbeats.com Interviews Tom Felton At NY Comic Con

Posted on by
1

We have been teasing you for two days with this, and the wait is finally over! Feltbeats.com representatives Bserlori (with the steller camera work, lol) and Southernbets showing her usual banter, had the pleasure of once again interviewing Tom, this time at NY Comic Con. I won’t go into details, you just have to see it for yourself. Be prepared for fits of giggles!

It was kind of rushed, so for any of you that missed anything that was said, here’s the full transcript:

Bets: Okay. We’re gonna be quick. Okay. Tell us a little bit about “Belle,” ‘Cause that’s what you’ve been filming lately, right?

Tom: Yes!

Bets: Tell us a little bit about that.

Tom: I thought you said “Bill.” I’m like, ‘Who the hell is that?’

Bets: Belle. Sorry! It’s the drawl.

Tom: “Belle” is a pretty special, pretty special piece. It’s a BBC drama about the first introduction of a black woman into high society England. I get to play a…. horrible guy. That’s all I’ll say. I was going to give more away there, but no, I realize I shouldn’t. He plays, yeah, a very, very old, and a very stuck-in-his-ways. I’m not happy to see a young black girl in

Bets: That’s your character? You play an old guy?

Tom: No. No. No. As in old in his ways.

Bets: Oh, okay.

Tom: Doesn’t like the idea of modern. This idea of something new coming along to shake up the system.

Bets: Now, are you finished with that role, or you have to go back for more?

Tom: I have to go back. That’s the reason I’m leaving tonight. I’ve got another days filming on Tuesday, and one on Friday. So, looking good. So far, so good. I got to be on the Isle of Man for two weeks doing all the night shoot stuff.

Bets: Ahh, but close to your grandparents.

Tom: Yes! I visited them while I was there actually. Yeah.

Bets: And so, what do you do after that? Do you have anything lined up after that? That’s set yet?

Tom: No. Nothing. There’s loads of things that supposedly are going to happen between November and January, but nothing that I’ve signed on the dotted line to do yet. So, I’m hoping stuff’s gonna happen around that time. If not, I’m happy to take a break, and just chill out, and I’m hoping to come back over to the states for holiday reasons rather than just for work.

Bets: We are still holding out for “Attachment” in Louisiana, ‘cause it’s a nice road trip.

Tom: Well… Hear! Hear! I’m holding out for it. I have good news. The last I heard, that is a go picture, and it’s supposed to be happening in January, so that’s the last I’ve heard anyway. I’m very, very excited, and I hope that does come true.

Bets: Fantastic! So, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Glamour UK released the Sexiest Men of 2012 and you ranked #36. How does that make you feel?

Tom: Wow. I had no idea. Awesome! Yeah, that’s very flattering. I don’t really know what to say to these things really. I just take it in my stride.

Bets: Okay. And, I’ve been watching ‘Breaking Bad.’

Tom: Yes! Tell me you’re hooked.

Bets: I am! But I’m in the third season, and I was eating the day I watched the first season with the ick.

Tom: oooh.

Bets: Oh yeah. That was not good, but anyway, if you had the opportunity to do tv, would you want to do something that was just recurring, or maybe just a guest shot, or what about tv. How does that work for you?

Tom: I would happily play Aaron Paul’s. I mean, he does it brilliantly, but that kind of character would be gold. Yeah, yeah. I have no… some people take a high ground with film over tv. I think tv is just as good, if not better than a lot of film that’s being produced. So yeah, I’d be happy to do either.

Bets: Alright, we’ll do some fun stuff now.

Tom: Alright

Bets: I got enough business out of the way. If you were a circus performer, what would you do?

Tom: The unicycle dude. You know, unicycle and juggling. I’m quite good with my hands, maybe I could that.

Bets: You hear that girls? He’s quite good with his hands.

Tom: It’s true!

Bets: Okay. Do you do your own laundry?

Tom: Hell, no. No, I do not. Not because I’m… just ‘cause I’m useless and lazy. Thank God for Jade. Yeah, yeah. I’d be terrible.

Bets: What’s your favorite restaurant you’ve ever eaten in, and what did you eat there? If you say McDonald’s, we’re done.

Tom: No. no, I’ve got a good one. Caesar’s restaurant. It’s in Leatherhead, sorry. That’s where I’ve been going for, like, 25 years for my birthday meal. It’s a very small American-style restaurant, and they do burgers there that kick ass.

Bets: What’s your favorite swear word?

Tom: Bollocks. Well, it’s one of them. I like bollocks. Yeah, that’s a good one.

Bets: hahaha

Tom: I don’t like bollocks. I’m saying, I like the word bollocks.

Bets: Do you choose the window seat or the aisle seat on the plane?

Tom: Aisle. I don’t like the whole getting out like thing. I like to have the freedom to move. Either one really, as long as I’m not in the middle. You know, that middle sector. Yeah, that sucks.

Bets: How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Tom: Quite a few. I have quite a few shoes, maybe 20 pairs, but you know how many pairs I wear? One! This set, I bought this set of Toms in Los Angeles like six months ago, and I haven’t taken them off since. They’re kind of like my Good Mood shoe, you know.

Bets: They’re good shoes, I guess. I don’t care for Toms, but

Tom: They’re not that comfy, but you get in to them.

Bets: They’re not?

Tom: They’re not that comfy, no.

Bets: Well, then why do you wear them?

Tom: I don’t know. They have my name on the back of them..

Bets: Oh. My. Gosh..

Tom: I’m kidding.

Bets: It’s like you’re in Kindergarten.

Bets: What’s your favorite season, and why?

Tom: Summer in the UK, because we get a couple of weeks of okay weather, I suppose. I don’t know. What’s yours? Do you have one?

Bets: I like football season.

Tom: Ahh! That was the answer. Alright. Cricket season! There ya go.

Bets: I just don’t like winter, because I don’t like cold.

Tom: Yeah. Good call.

Bets: If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?

Tom: Tom Fletcher. No, I don’t know. Bertie Gilbert. He’s pretty cool. Yeah, I don’t know. Someone cheap.

Bets: What about Jade? Who would you want to play Jade?

Tom: A question I could not answer. There is no one that has the onscreen beauty that Jade would need to play someone like her. Angelina Jolie, if she’s available. What? That works.

Bets: Okay. Describe yourself in three words.

Tom: I don’t know. Happy, sad, and confused. No, I don’t know. Upbeat, positive, and yeah, generally pretty happy. Those are three very lame words, but yeah, is that okay?

Bets: That’s perfect.

Bets: Why is it called “the cricket” instead of just cricket?

Tom: It’s not.

Bets: It IS! Everybody says, ‘I’m going to the cricket’ or ‘we’re going to the cricket today.’ Not, ‘we’re going to cricket.’

Tom: It’s definitely just cricket, but when you’re going. You can’t say ‘I’m going to baseball.’ Can you?

Bets: But you’re going to football. I’m going to watch football. I’m not going to watch the football.

Tom: No. I…

Bets: Are you just leaving the ‘game’ part off, or the match? Is it like you’re dangling something?

Tom: At first, I thought this was a silly question, but you’ve sparked off some grey matter. I don’t know. You’re right. Why would you go and say ‘I’m going and go watch the football’? You just say “I’m gonna go watch football.” The football meaning that specific event that we talked about earlier. I guess. I don’t know.

Bets: It’s weird.

Tom: I don’t know

Bets: You’re supposed to know these things. You’re British!

Tom: No! I’m the worst person to be asking this.

Bets: Name … I don’t think you’ll answer this, but we’ll see. Name something you do when you’re alone, that you wouldn’t do in front of others.

Tom: I don’t do that much alone really. I lie in very unattractive positions. I’m a naked fan.

Bets: Really?

Tom: I do naked sometimes. I wouldn’t do that in front of anyone else. Yeah. Occasionally.

Bets: You are so feeding the fodder today. I love it.

Tom: Alright. Awesome.

Bets: The fire is going to be burning.

Bets: What’s the strangest talent that you have?

Tom: My best talent, and this is a talent for not remembering people’s names. I have the best talent for that in the world. I can meet people five days in a row, and they introduce their name, in the same day, I can still forget it. Is that a talent?

Bets: Sure.

Tom: Will you let me off?

Bets: I will let you off.

Tom: Thank you.

Bets: You just didn’t want to say anything crazy, because you were afraid I would make you do it, didn’t you?

Tom: Yes. Possibly.

Bets: Okay. One last thing, do you like pickles?

Tom: Oh my god, I hate pickles.

Bets: All pickles?

Tom: Jade loves them, I hate them. No, no, not for me. Are you serious? They’re wrong. They’re just wrong. They really are.

Bets: I love dill pickles, but I don’t like sweet pickles.

Tom: Okay. See, I didn’t even know there was any difference.

Bets: There is. Okay. Well, we are rushed for time, so we’re gonna go. Do you want to give a shout out to your fans?

Tom: Feltbeats, signing out. Yeah. Thank you to everyone, the Feltforce doing their biddings. Yeah. I love you guys. Hope you’re heading for a good Christmas. I look forward to seeing you at the next one! Let’s hug it out!

 

A huge thank you to Tom who took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us!