The Telegraph has released another interview with Matthew Lewis, in the first he discussed Al Pacino. In this interview he discusses the Harry Potter films and how his life has changed. You can read the interview at the first link or in the press archive.
When did you first became aware you were a part of this great cultural phenomenon?
The first time I thought, “This is big” was when I arrived at the first premiere in Leicester Square. The film hadn’t been released and, as far as I was aware, nobody knew who I was. But there were all these people shouting, “Matthew! Matthew!” I was an 11-year-old kid, and I was thinking, “How do they know who I am?” It really scared me.
Until the last film, I’d just been left to get on with my own bit in the background, and I was happy with that. Then suddenly the character was out there, and I was in America being reported in all the magazines that I read like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. I’d always dreamed of being in them and now I was.
What are the popular myths about being in the Potter films?
Last weekend a student came up to me in Leeds with a look of disgust on her face and she said, “What are you doing here?” “Well, I live here,” I said. There’s this idea that we must all live in mansions in Beverly Hills or something.
People assume that when you’ve been in a film like that you’ve turned into Brad Pitt with an entourage that’s going to accompany you everywhere. The one thing I insist on if I’m asked to do something is: Can I bring a mate? So, if I’m in New York doing an interview with USA Today or whatever, it’s nice to be able to look across the room and see my mate Nick from Otley. It keeps me on the ground.