The Yorkshire Post has a new interview with Matthew Lewis where he talks about cancer, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Sweet Shop. There is also a photo of Matthew with Sir Jimmy Savile that you can see in the gallery.
An extra magical touch helped to unveil cancer-fighting equipment at a Leeds hospital. The new £3.5m scanning suite was launched by Horsforth-born Matthew Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, at St James’s Hospital. The PET CT Centre, the largest of its kind in the north, houses a new research scanner and diagnostic imaging scanner to replace the mobile unit at Seacroft Hospital. The scanner takes images of the structures of the body and can help diagnose cancer and even show whether a lump is cancerous.
Matthew said: “I don’t think there is anyone in the country that knows anyone who hasn’t been affected by cancer. This great city is on the front line of that war.”
Matthew finished filming his last scenes in the final instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last week. The film of the final book marks the end of his Hogwarts journey. It has been filmed intwo parts and the first is out at the end of the year.
Matthew told the YEP: “It’s not sunk in yet and I don’t think it will until the last film is out in July 2011. It has been great. I played a character I thought was brilliant to begin with and it was good to play an endearing person that people really relate to – I related to him when I read the books. It has been more of a challenge each year to bring a little bit more as Neville’s character grows. He has become a reckless resistance leader with no concerns for his own safety. He wants to do the right thing.”
Matthew has just finished an indie film called Sweet Shop with Gemma Atkinson, who was in teen soap Hollyoaks, which will be released at the end of the year. He added: “Until then I am just looking for some more work really.”
Sir Jimmy Savile also attended the launch to present a cheque to fund a research fellowship into the capabilities of the scanner