Matthew-Lewis.com

In a new interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Matt talks about his career post-potter and The Rise, also known as Wasteland which is out in the UK beginning tomorrow. The interview began with Matthew talking about his first post-Potter role in the West End play Verdict:

“I guess I wanted to prove that I could do something after Potter,” he explains. “When you come out of a film like that you worry if you are going to work again. You have to shake that off and get the monkey off your back. I had never done theatre before and coming out of a big film, I wanted to go back to basics and see how it goes. I was largely terrible. We didn’t have a lot of rehearsal time and I’d done nothing like it before, so we had some bad reviews. But it was good for me. I picked up the basics and by the end I figured out what theatre was about. Jumping in the deep end like that was a stupid thing to do but I really enjoyed it. I’m very appreciative that they gave me that opportunity. Even though it was difficult at first I knew I had to knuckle down and I came out of that with a renewed confidence.”

On why he chose to accept the role of Dodd: “When I was approached with the script I thought it was brilliant. It is hard to explain the intelligence of it without giving away the ending. I really loved it. It was clever and different and very much something I wanted to be a part of.”

Of his character Dodd in The Rise: “The character of Dodd was really fun for me to play. He is the biggest of all of his mates and very loyal. He’s on the front line but isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. It was so different to Neville. Neville isn’t something I wanted to dwell on and I’m moving away from it now. But at the same time I’m not going to begrudge it because that is what made me and it’s where I came from. There are opportunities that I’ve got now that I wouldn’t have got without it. I wouldn’t ever shy away from talking about it.”

On being able to work in his hometown of Leeds: “Working in Leeds is brilliant for me. I am not a keen traveller in any way. I’ve been around the world with my job and been to many wonderful places but I always want to come home. So for me, to be able to do a job that I love in the city that I love really is a dream come true.”

More may be read in the full interview.

Matthew Hemley, of The Stage, recently interviewed Matthew Lewis. In the interview the Matt’s talked about Our Boys, life Post-Potter and much more! Some snippets may be read below:

“I am fortunate that I get sent scripts and get to meet people I would never have met had I not done Harry Potter,” he admits. “But I feel I had to come out of that show and prove that I am not a one trick pony and can do other stuff. I have to start at the bottom really. I am fortunate that it opened doors but now I have to step through them.”

He adds: “I did feel immediately after it, when I went to auditions, that the worst thing I could hear was the director saying, ‘I am a big Harry Potter fan’, as immediately you think, shit, I have to convince them I am not Neville Longbottom before I can convince them of anything else. It was the hardest thing. But since then, I have realised you can’t think negatively. You do the best you can do and if it’s what they’re after it’s what they’re after, and if it’s not it’s not. Simple as that. And you’ve just got to get on with it.”

[..]

“To be honest I was not interested in doing anything again so quickly after [Verdict],” he says. “But then my agent gave me a call and said there was this play called Our Boys and asked if I would like to go in for a meeting about it. I was apprehensive, given it was the West End, as I was not sure I was ready to go and do that. But then I read the script, and it’s one of those scripts that you can immediately picture and see on stage. I thought, ‘Okay, I want to go into this. I doubt they will cast me but it will be a good laugh to go in for it’.”

[…]

Our Boys, directed by David Grindley, is based on Jonathan Lewis’ own experiences of being a soldier in hospital. It is described as a “comic and moving testament to the men Jonathan shared his hospital bay with”. Lewis describes his character, Mick, as a “really good guy.” “He loves the army, it’s his life,” he says. “He loves everything about it – the discipline, the uniform. And he’s not afraid to stand up for it when it comes into question.”

[..]

Our Boys also stars Laurence Fox and Arthur Darvill. Lewis says he has enjoyed the rehearsal period with the other members of the cast, admitting that rehearsing is an alien concept to him, given his background in film. “You don’t get time to rehearse in film and TV at all,” he says. “Even on Potter, where we had this huge budget and time, we did not rehearse. So it’s nice to go into a rehearsal room and just play around with ideas in front of a director. And you get to create a fuller character, which I am really enjoying. Every time I do a new job I learn a little bit more.”

[…]

And what of future work offers? Does he find himself being particularly choosy about parts that come his way now? “I have turned down some stuff,” he admits. “If I don’t think I will enjoy something I won’t do it just to make money. I want to enjoy what I am doing.” He adds: “If I am going to be away from home so long, then I want to make sure I am not depressed. Because if you’re not happy with what you’re doing you will only give a shit performance.”

This morning we have some new to us interviews with Matthew Lewis during the Deathly Hallows: Part II promotion. One interview came with two new photos that you may see in the gallery!

How much will he miss Harry Potter, or is he very much ready for a new challenge now? “It’s a bit of both,” he admits. “It’s a real ambivalence, because it’s obviously a sad time coming to the end of something that’s so much fun, and all the people, the cast, the crew, just such great fun to be around, but at the same time I was always looking forward to coming back to Leeds, to my friends here, and then the next chapter really. And that’s the exciting thing. Everyone sort of said ‘are you sad it’s finished, you don’t have Harry Potter there any more’, and yeah obviously it’s nice to know you’ve got a job coming up, but at the same time it’s exciting now. I’m ready for that next step. You look at it like an autobiography, and this is the next page and it’s not been written and it’s exciting. For the first time in 10 years I don’t know what I’m doing next, and that’s pretty cool.” – Leeds Guide Magazine

You can read all the interviews in the press archive:

• Movie Mom (July 18)
• Leeds Guide Magazine (July 13)
• Yorkshire Evening Post (July 7)
• Yorkshire Evening Post (July 6)

Thanks to Vanessa for finding these interviews for us!

If you ever find anything missing from the site (whether it be photos, videos or interviews) feel free to send them in!

Today we have a brand new interview Matthew did with Victoria Quarter, a shopping center, the interview may be read at their blog or in the press archive! In the interview he talks about Neville Longbottom and the Harry Potter series as well as his hometown of Leeds, his new “hottie” status (which he finds very awkward) and much more.  Some of  tidbits may be read below but there is much more in the full interview so be sure to read it:

How was it filming such a dramatic confrontational scene with Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) in the final film? Ralph stared at me really menacingly prior to filming. I still to this day don’t know if he did it on purpose, to build up for the scene or not. It was certainly all very dramatic. Imagine the hair, the nose and him just glaring, as if he was looking into my soul. It was all very unnerving. I smiled at him but he wouldn’t smile back. I was scared. At the end of filming he came over, shook my hand and said ‘that was great’ and immediately all the tension disappeared.

What was it like growing up in Leeds? I went to St Mary’s Catholic School in Menston, Leeds and I’m still really close to my school friends. They’re just normal about the Harry Potter stuff, asking how it went when I got back from filming and then that would be it, we’d just get on with it. They’re really not into the fame thing, they’re just my good mates.

How would you describe your style? Style? (Laughs) I don’t know really. Actually, I do like a suit to be classic, I love that ‘Boardwalk Empire’ style from the 1920s. If you’re wearing a suit I think you have to wear it properly, with the button done up, the trousers high and for it to be sharp and crisp. Then for leisure, I’m the complete opposite in trainers, jeans and a t-shirt, so as normal and relaxed as possible.

Finally……….did you get to keep that very ‘distinct’ cardigan that you wore throughout Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2? I did (laughs), but actually I’m not sure if I’m supposed to have it!

Thanks to Norma for the tip!

The Grand Theatre, Blackpool have just emailed letting us know that Matthew’s play Verdict will be coming to their theatre from June 13th to the 18th. Tickets start at £17, but on opening night all seats are £20.

Bill Kenwright presents Agatha Christie’s brilliantly taut thriller Verdict starring Susan Penhaligon (Upstairs Downstairs, A Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Emmerdale’s Jean Hope), Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey), Peter Byrne (Dixon of Dock Green), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter’s Neville Longbottom), Elizabeth Power (EastEnders) and 60s pop idol Mark Wynter at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre from Monday 13^th June to Saturday 18^th June.

Monday at 8pm, Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2pm.

To book your seats, calling the Grand Theatre Box Office on 01253 290190, go online to www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or head to the Grand Theatre information sales point in the Houndshill Shopping Centre.

Remember to check out the gallery to see photos of Matthew in the play.