When did you first see the theme park live, what was your first reaction upon seeing it, and how does the theme park compare to the film sets?
Dan: The thing we’ve all been saying over the past few days, not to be disparaging to the film sets which are incredible, but this world is even more complete. Because you go out the back of the film sets and you see that it is, in fact, held together by scaffold and plaster, and here there’s none of that. There’s never a moment where the illusion is broken. I was just amazed by the place when I first got here. I thought it was fantastic.
Tom: Pretty speechless. I’m still waiting to see a green screen. Not one in sight. I was very impressed.

What is your favorite part of the attraction?
Rupert: I really like the pub. The Hogs Head pub with all the different drinks. I really enjoyed that.
Tom: Good call.

Last night, where actual people were there including these jaded journalists, it seemed to me like people were in awe like a bunch of children. Did you guys pick up on that? Did you have that sense?
Rupert: Definitely. We all got our wands yesterday at Ollivanders.
Dan: Yes!
Rupert: It was a really amazing experience actually.
Tom: Last night was pretty moving. It was a combination of everything. John Williams was there and the fireworks.
Michael: I was moved. Near to tears. It was beautiful.
Dan: Also, for me, the fact that the castle looks as incredible as it does looks and does look about 700 foot high is amazing. Just the way it towers over the place. I think that you can hardly fail to be filled with a sense of awe when you see that.

You’re the only bad guy here. Does that ever weigh on you?
Tom: I had a lovely child come up to me yesterday and just said, “I hate you.” (laughter) I said, “Thank you very much.” It’s good fun to play a villain. It’s great for me to play someone hopefully very different from my everyday person. But it’s painful because they always come in with hugs and kisses for these two (indicates Dan and Rupert), but not a lot for me. I’ve grown used to it.

What was everyone’s reaction to the Forbidden Journey ride. Did you have a favorite part, a least favorite part?
Dan: What was your least favorite part, Rupe? (laughter)
Rupert: There is a quite large spider portion of the ride.
Tom: You were screaming.
Rupert: (to Tom) I know, have you seen the photo?
Rupert: I hate spiders.
Dan: It’s like the maid in “Tom and Jerry” when Rupert’s up on the chair.

Dan: I personally love the bit where there’s a moment, I just think it’s fantastically clever, where the Dementors come and take out your soul and you see your own face dragged out in front of you.
Tom: That’s very cool. I don’t know how they do that. It’s very, very cool. And just the general seamlessness between real and the fake it’s just blows your mind a little bit.
Dan: And what’s good is it’s quite loud so I don’t have to hear myself speak. If I want to I can tune myself out of my own dialogue, which I try to as often as I can.

Tom: (to Michael) : You have yet to go on it though? Today’s the day for Forbidden Journey.
Michael: Yeah I’m going today. I haven’t seen it.I’ve been on the ride [Dragon’s Challenge] though.
Dan: You did the Dragon Challenge?
Michael: It was terrifying. I just locked myself [in]. I didn’t look. I put my arms down. It was so frightening. As soon as I got on I knew I’d made a mistake. I won’t go again.

The film wrapped Saturday. Can you talk a little about what happened and what that was like for you guys?
Dan: I don’t think there’s any shame in saying, Rupert, that we both cried like children.
Rupert: We did, yeah.
Dan: It was really emotional. It was very, very strange. They edited together a rather wonderful short film, which will hopefully eventually find its way onto the DVD extras, which is a short film of reminiscences – lots of very provocative images from the last 16 months on this shoot and a film of everyone waving goodbye. I was pretty devastated at the time.

What part of the park has touched you in a specific way?
Tom: We really enjoyed Ollivanders yesterday. And it wasn’t actually for our own experience. As Daniel reminded me yesterday, there were two youngsters there who literally gasped when they’re wand was chosen for them. It’s great to see the youngsters faces and they take it all in.
Dan: It’s that little noise these kids made. They went, “Ah.” If you could bottle it, that’s the reason this park exists. It’s fantastic.

The last clip that was release during the MTV Movie Awards …the clip of you [Rupert] and Dan arguing was quite deep. How’d you feel about doing that scene?
Rupert: Yeah, that as really fun. In that portion of the story, Ron is very unsure of Harry’s ability and there’s a lot of paranoia. It was a really fun scene to do actually.
Dan: Because our characters are best friends, normally the scenes we have are relatively straightforward because the relationship is a quite straightforward, simple, happy relationship. So actually it was really good fun.

How did you feel when you were first asked to participate in the filming of the ride and then finally seeing it live in the park … how does it differ …
Matthew: That was kind of weird for me. I don’t know about you guys but to know that you’re gonna be on a ride, especially one that’s that good. That’s one of the best rides I’ve ever been on, Forbidden Journey. Being in a film’s one thing , that doesn’t last forever and ever, but to be on a ride is something else. I’ve been to theme parks and roller coasters since I was tiny, and to be a part of something like that – halfway around the world, as well, in America – I’m still trying to figure out how in my head. It’s kind of weird. But it’s unbelievable to be in it. It’s a great privilege and I had great fun doing it.
James: It was probably around about two years ago, the same time of year when we shot this stuff for Forbidden Journey, the guys were showing us the plans for the ride. And so we were like, well I was anyway, when they showed us all the information, “This is surely too good to be true.” We were jaded … My favorite thing ever was the Spiderman ride here as well and they said, “That, but 10 …” When we got on Forbidden Journey that really blew us away. We’re in a movie, a theme park, we’re LEGO men ...
Bonnie: What I think is lovely about it is … stepping on set for the first time I was just shell shocked. It’s just lovely to allow everyone to experience what we’ve had ...

Can you tell me your first thoughts when you first saw the park in three words or less?
Mattthew: Three words or less? Bloody hell. That’s pretty much what I felt at that moment when I walked through it.
James: Wow. Pretty amazing.
Oliver: Very, very impressive.
Bonnie: I think it’s especially how they managed to do everything. When we all came in for the first time yesterday and we were in the arch, we were supposed to sit there. “Do we go? Do we watch?” And we were all just in amazement. We all just wanted to touch everything. That wasn’t three words, but okay.
Warwick: This is magic, I suppose. It’s truly spectacular.

What do you think of the pubs?
James: When this was a set, it seemed a lot smaller, and now obviously it’s huge. You can say, “I’ll meet you in the Three for a pint and food,” which is nice. All the food in here as well, it’s not all that greasy burgers, it’s good healthy options as well.
Warwick: There’s fish and chips, and genuinely nice food. Theme park food isn’t normally that nice, but we had a really great lunch in here. Some really nice stuff and it’s really in keeping with Hogsmeade – Cornish pasties, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie.

Warwick: I think my favorite part would be Ollivanders. My two children are here, Annabelle and Harrison, and to see them having their wand moment was just tremendous. Really, really excited, and their faces. And I saw Michael get his wand as well. Ah his little face, it was so sweet. (laughter)

Have you guys had a chance to go shopping here yet? What do you look forward to taking home from here?
Bonnie: Taking photographs is forbidden on set unless you’re sly and take pictures of the set. As much as soaking in the experience is being able to take part of it home something you can’t really do in the film. You just have to take it as a mental note. To be able to literally buy and take away all these things that we’ve held as props, I think that’s amazing for the public who can have their wand, they can have their clothes, they can have their sweets from the shop. They haven’t left anything out. I can’t think of anything that we’ve had … probably the Gringott’s money.
Oliver: Even the wands – each character’s is an exact replica of what we used in the films, so that was cool. I’ve actually got my wand now. We were just in the joke shop. They sell some really cool stuff, which in the sixth film in the joke shop was just a box with a picture on it, whereas now, there’s a product inside.
Warwick: I think the wands are my favorite thing. My children have an unhealthy amount of wands. My hotel room looks like Olivanders. There’s loads of wands, it’s ridiculous. I was walking around with one last night for the opening celebration and was wondering why. But you’ve got to do that. I need to have a wand pocket made in my suit jacket.
Matthew: The shop by Forbidden Journey, the sword of Gryffindor’s in there. I’ve been messing around with that for the past few months on set. So I was like, “Let me have a look at it. Yeah, it’s a pretty good weight. It’s all right. I’ll give you that.” It’s a pretty fine replica. I thought, “I’ll have one of them.”

Having started out so young, do you anticipate that you all will remain friends?
Matthew: I hope not. (laughter)

What's next for you guys, and would you ever do another project with one of your costars? I remember Rupert once said that if he got to choose a costar to work with, he'd choose (*points to the Phelps twins*) you two.
Oliver: I think, because we've all finished Potter now... it was surreal. The last day, everyone had a bit of a lump in their throat, at least. Like, 'What is the next step?' And luckily for us, I think - touch wood - it'd be great to work with Rupe again. We get along like a house on fire. Did he tell you about his singing?
Bonnie: In this industry, not only the cast and crew as well, but you go around in circles and hopefully we'll all meet each other along the way. We've made such close friends, they've become as much a part of the experience as we have.
Matt: I actually just shot an indie film back home, really low budget. But the producer of the film, a guy called Bertie Stephens, was actually my double about two years ago. So that was kind of weird to go back and work with him, and he was my boss. And that was a really good time, and I just finished that, so that would be out sometime at the end of this year.

What about you, Warwick?
Warwick: Next week, I'll start rehearsals for a new sitcom written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant called 'Life's Too Short', which is really exciting. It's a very little project, pardon the pun (*Matt's delayed laughter*) - you just got that? And now everyone's looking forward to it, which is exciting for me. But it's a little daunting at the same time. it's something to look forward to.