SnitchSeeker.com - Video: Matthew Lewis talks his The Sweet Shop character, costumes & first acting role

In a new interview on the set of his upcoming film, The Sweet Shop, actor Matthew Lewis spoke about how he prepared for his character, the gutter-snipe reporter. Matt also went into detail about his first-ever acting role, at the age of five, and how film costumes, including those of Neville Longbottom's from the Harry Potter series, better get him into character.

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What kind of research did you do for the character?
Matt: Well, let’s see. I started by reading the script all the way through. ‘Cause obviously you can often sometimes just read your own stuff, but I don’t think that’s a very wise thing to do. It’s always better to read the full story. So I read the whole script, which I really enjoyed. It was quite cool because I got to go shop for my own clothes. In doing that, you can create the character yourself - in doing that from the ground up.

He’s ambitious and he’s trying to make something of himself. He’s trying to get somewhere on the ladder of journalism. The reporter’s just trying to get the story. They’re all very nice traits but the fact is, he’s scum. He wants to climb over anybody to get to the top. He’s willing to ruin Jarvis’s professional life, his personal life. He doesn’t care. As long as it gets in the big story, he doesn’t care.

I don’t have any regime about getting into a character. I always find that when you’re in a location with other actors, all these different things that you need to feed off - your environment, how you dress and the other people – it’s so important to feed off that. I don’t really have a set regime to be honest with you.

Helen Ramsey, who’s asking the questions here, was in charge of costume. I bought some stuff on your recommendation, on your ideas and then you put them together.

It does help though, costumes and stuff. I’ve done Harry Potter before and costume and make up can really help you get into character, especially other people’s costumes as well. You see Seth playing this rock and roll star and he’s dressed like a rock and roll star. It’s easier to believe you’re in that kind of world.

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What was your very first role?
Matt: My first role was when I was five years old and I played a character called Johnathan something. I can’t remember his surname, but the first name was definitely Johnathan. It was a TV two-part ITV drama called Some Kind of Life. Basically the story was that the father, played by Ray Stevenson, was in a motorcycle accident and he was brain damaged and reverted to effectively being the mind of a five-year-old. I was five at the time and so it was how the mother, Jane Horrocks, coped with having two five-year-olds and losing a husband.

It was a really tough story line and I’ve not seen it for years, but I remember it being very, very upsetting. But it’s good. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to watch it. Jane Horrocks obviously is brilliant in it.

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What is your favorite part of acting in a film and is this your first film?
Matt: (laughs) No. I did a few early small, low-budget stuff before Harry Potte if you heard of them. One of the Red Eye movies - it was pretty cool, showed it in festivals and stuff. But obviously the Harry Potter cycle of movies.

I don’t know, really. I love filmmaking, probably because you can always have another go if you mess up. That’s always nice. I just love the people involved. Filmmaking is so crucial that everyone works like this (weaves fingers together). It has to be a well-oiled machine or it just doesn’t fit. Every department has to be working together, not just the actors on the screen, but it’s the cameraman, it’s the costume department, the hair and makeup, the grips, the lights. Everything’s got to be all right or it just won’t mesh. It’s great seeing that process take hold. As soon as they shout, “Cut!” everyone’s in there doing their bit. Everyone knows what they’ve got to do. They’re in there so it’s ready to go again as soon as they shout, “Action!”

It’s pretty amazing to watch. It’s pretty special how it all comes together, so I quite like that.

The Sweet Shop will be out later this year in the UK.