Telegraph

June 18,, 2007 Telegraph Interview

MATTHEW LEWIS plays Neville Longbottom, a loyal but slightly bumbling friend of Harry’s and a member of Dumbledore’s Army (DA), a secret school club for learning defence against the dark arts

Are you like your character?
I’m pretty clumsy, but I’d like to think I’m a bit cooler than him. I would say I’m more courageous, but in this new film he becomes really reckless and wants to fight the good fight.

Do you wish you could have played a ‘cooler’ character?
Not really. I like Neville a lot because he makes people laugh and that’s something that I really admire. I love watching comedy films and programmes. Life’s pretty rubbish at times, and people should be able laugh more.

Are you worried about getting type-cast?
Not so much because I don’t really look much like Neville. At least I don’t think I do. I have to wear a fat suit and a side-parting in my hair and things to stick my ears out.

I hope that when I do come out of Harry Potter there will be things that I can do that a very distant from Neville. Perhaps drama, or action films. I loved the action sequences in this film. But I don’t want to stray too far away from the comedy because I love doing it so much.

You’re not going to do anything drastic, like Daniel Radcliffe did with Equus?
No. That was a very brave move from Dan, and it’s paid off fantastically. But I’m not that brave.

Will you be upset if Neville gets killed off?
I would like him to live. But as long as he dies in a righteous and heroic way, I’ll be happy.

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