Actor Tom Felton was interviewed by
Time Out New York recently on Draco's development and playing the bad boy in the Harry Potter films, in particular,
Half-Blood Prince.
Quote:
Do you enjoy playing the bad boy?
TF Very much so. It’s always more fun to play the bad guy. I like to think that I’m a relatively nice guy in real life, so I can bottle up any anger that I do have and release it by means of this spiteful character.
Do kids on the street ever give you nasty looks?
TF [Laughs] On the set, the younger kids are quite keen to meet Draco. Then, when they see me, they think, Wait a minute, this guy is not to be trusted! And they cower behind their parents’ legs. I can only take that in a good way.
Tell us about how Draco’s character develops in this film.
TF In previous years, Draco’s been two-dimensional—just an annoying, slimy git. Now he plays a more crucial role in young Harry’s life. He wants to be a Harry for the dark guys, but he’s not built of the same material—he doesn’t have Harry’s courage.
He’s also not that bad of a guy. He doesn’t want to do what he does. He’s just a vulnerable child who’s been given an impossible task.
Do you think you’ll be typecast as a villain?
TF It’s nothing that I worry about because we’re all so young, we’ve barely even started. The concept of being typecast at 18 or 19 is ridiculous really. I’d love to broaden my horizons, but I would happily take the villain role again.
How would you feel about becoming an international heartthrob like Potter alum Robert Pattinson [of Twilight]?
TF I’m not sure how I would cope with having girls scream at me everywhere I go. I’m keen to keep my private life to myself and be able to go wherever I want without causing a commotion. Although…thinking on it, I’m sure I’d cope just fine!
Thanks to Time Out New York for emailing!