'Harry Potter' actor confesses hit movies were 'quite boring' to make
"Harry Potter" actor Jason Isaacs made a candid confession about filming the hit franchise.
The British actor, who played Lucius Malfoy in six of the eight "Harry Potter" movies, revealed the films were "quite boring" to make.
"It's a terrible confession to make. They weren't that much fun to make. It's quite boring, making big special effects films," Isaacs shared on BBC's "The One Show."
"However, the pleasures all come afterwards," he remarked. "I see and meet people for whom their lives were changed by it … still people reading it and sharing it with their children. Some people say their lives were saved by it, and I believe it."
Despite his confession, Isaacs admitted he gets emotional when he takes his family to tour the set.
"Even though I was in the films, when I've taken godchildren or nephews and nieces to the tour … and suddenly you're in the Great Hall, every time, I burst out in tears," he shared.
"It's incredibly moving and overwhelming. There's some magic that happened in those stories."
Isaacs portrayed Lucius, the father of Draco Malfoy, played by Tom Felton, in 2002's "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and reprised his role until 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2."
"The White Lotus" star continued to share how magical the "Harry Potter" franchise was to him.
"Something happened, who knows why, when those ingredients came together. … The soufflé rose. … It created just love around the world and a sense of inclusion," he added.
Isaacs starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other famous cast members.
In September, "Harry Potter" star Maggie Smith died "peacefully," and cast members paid tribute to her.
Radcliffe issued a statement honoring the star, who portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House, in the franchise.
"The first time I met Maggie Smith, I was 9 years old, and we were reading through scenes for 'David Copperfield,' which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her," Radcliffe told Variety at the time.
"The other thing I knew about her was that she was a dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was 'would you like me to call you dame?' at which she laughed and said something to the effect of 'don't be ridiculous!' I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the 'Harry Potter' films.
"She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny. I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused, but if it applies to anyone in our industry, then it applies to her. Thank you, Maggie."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Family of Race Across The World's Sam Gardiner ‘overwhelmed' by support
The family of Race Across The World contestant Sam Gardiner have issued a message of thanks for the love and support following their son's death and also thanked people for donations to a fundraising campaign set up in his memory. The 24-year-old, who competed in the BBC One series alongside his mother Jo, died following a car crash last month. A JustGiving page launched in his memory by his family, in aid of National FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), has so far raised more than £10,000. His mother said: 'We have been overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of messages of love and support on social media and in comments to press reporting. 'We would like to thank the BBC, Studio Lambert and everyone at Race Across The World production, fellow contestants and fans of the show for all their support at this terrible time. It has been very comforting to know that Sam touched so many people. — Race Across The World (@RATW_official) June 1, 2025 'I have been particularly moved by all the messages that Sam was an inspiration to many who have been impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. 'We adopted Sam and he was diagnosed with FASD. As viewers of season two will recall, this was a big challenge both for Sam and for us as his parents. 'National FASD helped us on that journey. If some good comes of this tragedy, it will be that FASD is better understood.' Mr Gardiner was driving a white Volkswagen Golf R estate when it came off the road and rolled before landing on its side. The accident happened on the A34 in Gatley, near Cheadle, on Monday May 26 and he died on May 29 from his injuries, his family said last week. Broadcast in March 2020, Sam and Jo ventured across Mexico and Argentina as part of the second series of the BBC show. Mr Gardiner's father Andrew said: 'When the news broke last week, friends asked how they could help. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NationalFASD (@nationalfasd) 'After some thought, I decided to set up a JustGiving page to raise money for National FASD in memory of Sam. The page is called Sam Gardiner; Super Human. 'I set the target at £500 thinking a few friends might be generous enough to make a donation. So far it's raised 20 times that. It's very humbling to see the RATW family rally to this worthy cause.' The National Organisation for FASD says on its official website that it 'provides support to people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, their families and communities, campaigns to raise public awareness, and promotes relevant policies and practices'. The website also describes FASD as resulting 'when prenatal alcohol exposure affects the developing brain and body.. It says: 'FASD is a spectrum. Each person with FASD is affected differently. 'While more than 400 conditions can co-occur, FASD is at its core a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. All people with FASD have many strengths. Early diagnosis and appropriate support are essential, especially for executive functioning.' A message on the official National FASD Instagram account said: 'Sam lived his life full of love, exuberance and adventure as seen on BBC's Race Across the World. 'National FASD is both humbled and honoured to help carry on his legacy via donations coming from hundreds.' A private funeral will be held later this month.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
EastEnders star to leave Albert Square after 4 years to seek new opportunities
Bobby Brazier is leaving popular BBC soap EastEnders after four years, according to reports. The actor, who is the son of late reality star Jade Goody and former footballer Jeff Brazier, was named runner up of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. Brazier, who plays Freddie Slater in the BBC soap, will leave Albert Square by the end of this year, reports The Sun. The newspaper said an EastEnders spokeswoman revealed: 'We can confirm that Bobby Brazier will be leaving EastEnders, and we wish him all the best for the future.' A TV insider told The Sun that EastEnders bosses met with Bobby at a time when he was already thinking about making his exit. They added: 'The timing of the decision worked for both, but his final scenes are not for a while yet. 'The character has had a great run, but the time is now right for Bobby to look for other opportunities, and for EastEnders to wave goodbye to Freddie Slater.' Recommended reading: EastEnders star suspended by BBC after disabled slur on Strictly set EastEnders icon to leave BBC soap after 21 years saying 'its time to take a rest' EastEnders star has a famous dad as fans reveal family connection While filming for the soap, Bobby won a National Television Award (NTA) in 2024 for his role as Freddie and he starred in Curfew, a Paramount+ drama. Ahead of last year's Soccer Aid football match, Bobby trained with his dad Jeff but he won't be taking part in the charity event this year. Bobby's departure news comes as Lacey Slater is also taking a break from the soap as Stacey Slater while Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater), Jake Wood (Max Branning) and Max Bowden (Ben Mitchell) return to Albert Square. Newsquest has approached the BBC for comment.
4 hours ago
Iranian rapper Tataloo once supported a hard-line presidential candidate. Now he faces execution
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The tattoos covering Iranian rapper Tataloo's face stand out against the gray prison uniform the 37-year-old now wears as he awaits execution, his own rise and fall tracing the chaos of the last decade of Iranian politics. Tataloo, whose full name is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a death sentence after being convicted on charges of 'insulting Islamic sanctities.' It's a far cry from when he once supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate. Tataloo's music became popular among the Islamic Republic's youth, as it challenged Iran's theocracy at a time when opposition to the country's government was splintered and largely leaderless. The rapper's lyrics became increasingly political after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent wave of nationwide protests. He also appeared in music videos which criticized the authorities. 'When you show your face in a music video, you are saying, 'Hey, I'm here, and I don't care about your restrictions,'' said Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005. 'That was brave.' The Iranian Supreme Court last month upheld his death sentence. 'This ruling has now been confirmed and is ready for execution,' judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters at a press conference last month. Activists have decried his looming execution and expressed concern for his safety after he reportedly tried to kill himself in prison. Tataloo began his music career in 2003 as part of an underground genre of Iranian music that combines Western styles of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. His first album, released in 2011, polarized audiences, though he never played publicly in Iran, where its Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance controls all concerts. Tataloo appeared in a 2015 music video backing Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and Tehran's nuclear program, which long has been targeted by the West over fears it could allow the Islamic Republic to develop an atomic bomb. While he never discussed the motivation behind this, it appeared that the rapper had hoped to win favor with the theocracy or perhaps have a travel ban against him lifted. In the video for 'Energy Hasteei," or 'Nuclear Energy,' Tataloo sings a power ballad in front of rifle-wielding guardsmen and later aboard the Iranian frigate Damavand in the Caspian Sea. The ship later sank during a storm in 2018. 'This is our absolute right: To have an armed Persian Gulf,' Tataloo sang. Tataloo even issued an endorsement for hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi in 2017. That year, the two sat for a televised appearance as part of Raisi's failed presidential campaign against the relative moderate Hassan Rouhani. Raisi later won the presidency in 2021, but was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024. In 2018, Tataloo — who faced legal problems in Iran — was allowed to leave the country for Turkey, where many Persian singers and performers stage lucrative concerts. Tataloo hosted live video sessions as he rose to fame on social media, where he became well-known for his tattoos covering his face and body. Among them are an Iranian flag and an image of his mother next to a key and heart. Instagram deactivated his account in 2020 after he called for underage girls to join his 'team' for sex. He also acknowledged taking drugs. 'Despite being a controversial rapper, Tataloo has quite the fanbase in Iran, known as 'Tatalities,'' said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. 'Over the years, they've flooded social media with messages of solidarity for him and even campaigned for the rapper's release in the past when he was detained on separate charges.' Tataloo's rebellious music struck a chord with disenfranchised young people in Iran as they struggled to find work, get married and start their adult lives. He also increasingly challenged Iran's theocracy in his lyrics, particularly after the death of Amini following her arrest over allegedly not wearing the hijab to the liking of authorities. His collaboration 'Enghelab Solh" — 'Peace Revolution' in Farsi — called out Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by name. 'We don't want tear gas, because there are tears in everyone's eyes,' he rapped. But the music stopped for Tataloo in late 2023. He was deported from Turkey after his passport had expired, and was immediately taken into custody upon arrival to Iran. Tehran's Criminal Court initially handed Tataloo a five-year sentence for blasphemy. Iran's Supreme Court threw out the decision and sent his case to another court, which sentenced him to death in January. The rapper already faced ten years in prison for a string of separate convictions, including promoting prostitution and moral corruption. 'Tataloo is at serious risk of execution,' Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of advocacy group Iran Human Rights, said in a statement. 'The international community, artists and the public must act to stop his execution.' Tataloo earlier expressed remorse at a trial. 'I have certainly made mistakes, and many of my actions were wrong,' he said, according to the state-owned Jam-e Jam daily newspaper. 'I apologize for the mistakes I made.' Tataloo married while on death row, his uncle said. Last month, Tataloo reportedly attempted to kill himself, but survived. His death sentence comes at a politically fraught moment for Iran as the country is at it's 'most isolated,' said Abbas Milani, an Iran expert at Stanford University. The Islamic Republic is 'desperately trying to see whether it can arrive at a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program and have the sanctions lifted,' he said. Drawing the ire of Tataloo's fans is 'one headache they don't need,' he added. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at ___
