| masterofmystery | 07-28-2011 10:31 PM |
Brendan Gleeson talks playing Moody in Harry Potter films, young non-bratty costars
Brendan Gleeson, who Harry Potter fans know best as portraying Order of the Phoenix member, and former Auror and Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye Moody, recently discussed his work in the film series, and more specifically, his wariness of working with child actors, as he was afraid they would be brats. Of course, upon working with his younger costars, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, he realised that they were grounded and good people after all, and enjoyed spending time on set with the overall cast, crew, and Leavesden environment.
Gleeson also noted that while he did sign up for the final films, before the release of the final book in 2007, he did not know what the characters' fates were, including Moody's (who of course died a few chapters into the final book, and last featured in Deathly Hallows: Part 1). Gleeson commented on his work in the series while promoting his upcoming project, The Guard. http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/...6/31608835.jpg Quote:
“I had the joy of working on a franchise – I know they don’t like calling it a franchise, but what of it – a franchise that was treated with great joy and respect,” Gleeson saids. “People embraced an ocean of magic and the filmmakers were respectful of the audience that they wanted to reach. They were just hoping that it would work.
“I went over not knowing whether the kids would be brats, monsters, divas. And these beautiful kids who were allowed to grow up at their own pace were young people I came to feel really really proud of.
“The filmmakers had a fundamental decency and a way of doing things properly that made the films a joy to do.”
| I want to ask you one Harry Potter question, it all ends next month, and I wonder what your reflections are, what it’s done for the British film industry. It’s such an iconic series, and talk a little bit about the kids, the three kids?
Brendan Gleeson: I went in number four and my demise was in the last one, so I wasn’t as into it as others, but the only thing I was afraid of was that they would be brats. I was a teacher and a parent. I don’t like brats. I like brats if there’s something behind it. But I didn’t trust the movie industry not to turn them into brats either.
And I found beautifully well-adjusted kids who were allowed to be kids, and I had such a fantastic time that after that they said, “Do you want to sign up for the finish, because we are not sure how it’s going to end,” which is the great thing. I said absolutely. It became, just the whole set up of it was phenomenal.
They’d have kids in, the Make-A-Wish kids would come every so often, the set was really friendly to children, they were very, very considerate of their audience, it never felt as if there was a predatory thing going on, either with the kids who’d come in as actors or the kids who’d come in and loved the films and the books.
It just became really magical. What I love about the film industry, the British film industry or whatever, what I loved about it was that a lot of the crafts that maybe were on their way out hung around for a while longer like creature effects, and people actually putting the feathers on things. People were building sets that were extraordinarily intricate, there was craftsmanship going on at a massive level.
And after that I don’t know, the rest of the stuff, I don’t know what it will mean, or if the franchise is over. I don’t know, I don’t really care. I kind of feel it’s come to its… it’s completely its circle now. So long may it live.
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