The insurers for the Harry Potter films were insuring me for a massive amount of money and being extra reluctant about it. I could almost hear them saying, 'Is he worth it? He's broken most of his bones, he's had cancer and he might drop dead at any moment!'

I loved my time as Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, but my character has now been erased! I knew it would happen, because he's quite a good part in the book, but there was no way they were ever going to fit everything into one film.

All three producers rang me up, separately, on the same day to give me the news - so I was told three times. They said, 'We're so sorry, we're having to cut the book by half,' so that was the end of that. I was very sad, because of the amusing and wicked people I worked with, like Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith, who is an old friend. It was such fun to film, and there were so many laughs on set that it was hard to come up with a sober face just before they shouted, 'Action!'