Harry Potter: 15 Behind-The-Scenes Drama You Missed

Six years after the release of the final installment of the original Harry Potter film franchise, and ten years after the release of the final book, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more loyal fan base; a generation that follows all Harry Potter news religiously. For this reason, we never tire of hearing about Harry Potter, clinging on to bits of information like priceless historical artefacts.

As the years go by, we’ve found out so much more about the backgrounds of the various characters (Dumbledore is gay! Dudley and Harry remain in contact! Harry had PTSD!), as well as fun facts about the actors and stage crew involved in the filming of the eight movies.

While these facts and stories may have been scandalous at the time, so many years after the fact, they are just enjoyable to read about. They make us feel like we actually there on set, a part of one of the great film franchises in history.

It really doesn’t matter how much time has passed – Harry Potter facts, trivia, and gossip will never get old. So Read on for the 15 Behind The Scenes Drama You Missed in Harry Potter.

15 Rupert Grint Got Kicked Out Of The Harry-Hermione Kissing Scene For Laughing

Sure, Ron as a fictional character was always portrayed as the jokester, so it should really come as no surprise that the actor, Rupert Grint, would have a similar personality.

Sure enough, this is the case – as was exemplified during the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, when he was laughing so hard at the sight of Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe kissing that he got kicked out of the room.

Because Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe were friends for so long, it was strange for any of them to kiss each other. This probably explains why Rupert Grint was laughing so hard watching his two best friends make out, and also why Emma Watson kicked him out of the room soon thereafter!

14 David Thewlis Thought Remus Lupin Was Gay

Did you ever get a sense that David Thewlis portrayed his character, Remus Lupin, as gay? If you didn’t, try re-watching the early pre-Tonks scenes of Lupin, and see if you can pick up on it.

If you did notice something along those lines, there’s a reason for it. Although J.K. Rowling never knew about this, director of the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuarón, told Thewlis that Remus Lupin was, in fact, gay. So, naturally, Thewlis played Lupin as a gay man until Tonks became a part of the picture.

Why did Cuarón think that Lupin was gay? Did he somehow mix that up with Dumbledore being gay, even though that piece of information wasn’t revealed until years later? It’s anybody’s guess.

13 Devon Murray Was Forced To Pay His Agent A Big Sum Of Money

It sucks owing anyone money – but can you imagine owing someone £210 000? Unfortunately, that was the case for actor Devon Murray, who portrayed Harry’s fellow Gryffindor Seamus Finnigan in the Harry Potter films.

While we enjoyed listening to his charming Irish accent throughout the run of the film franchise, few fans knew what was going on behind the scenes. Apparently, Murray was not sufficiently paying his agent, Neil Brooks, during this time.

This was all fun and games until a court ruled in favour of the agent, and Murray was forced to pay his agent £210 000 in commission fees. Ouch.

Hopefully the salary gained from starring in one of the world’s most successful film franchises could take the punch!

12 Alan Rickman Wouldn’t Let His Younger Co-Stars Near His BMW

Someone who could portray Severus Snape so well would have to have some sort of edge to him in real life, right? Supposdely, Alan Rickman could be a bit of a (lovable) grouch in real life!

This was made clear through reports that Rupert Grint (Ron) and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) were goofing around in Alan Rickman’s car one day, and spilled milkshake inside!

After that time, Rickman allegedly would not let younger cast members near his car— especially when he upgraded to a BMW some time after.

We understand holding a grudge against Grint and Lewis specifically, but did he really have to forbid all the younger cast members from coming near his car? Then again, long hours and overtime on set would surely rile up the younger generation, so maybe Rickman had the right idea.

11 Jamie Waylett Got Arrested… More Than Once

Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin. Jamie Waylett, who portrayed Vincent Crabbe in six of the Harry Potter films, was arrested in 2009 for having eight bags of marijuana in his car, which led to police finding even more growing at his home.

While that offense only led to some community service, Waylett was again arrested in 2011 for participating in the London Riots, possessing a Molotov cocktail while stealing from a chemist. Unfortunately for him, this meant a sentencing of two years in prison.

Jamie Waylett’s various legal troubles caused him to lose his part in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and fellow Slytherin Blaise Zabini took over the role that Vincent Crabbe should have played in this film.

10 Daniel Radcliffe Would Sometimes Come To Work Still Drunk

While it can be difficult to separate Daniel Radcliffe from the sweet, innocent Harry Potter face we know from the first few films, it’s important for us to remember that the actor was filmed and in the public eye during some of his most formative years— which included adolescence and young adulthood.

We all experiment as teens, and Radcliffe was no exception to this rule. In fact, around the time of filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, some of his drinking benders would go so late into the night that by the time he was due on set the next morning, he would still be drunk!

Fortunately, Radcliffe recognized his self-destructive behaviour, and gave up drinking almost immediately after filming the final Harry Potter movie.

9 Emma Watson’s Pet Died During The Filming Of Chamber Of Secrets

As mentioned above, the Harry Potter cast really grew up on a film set, and experienced some of their most formative years in a very strange and different setting from your average kid. But just because their upbringing was unique does not mean the cast did not experience the same trials and tribulations that every other kid their age was facing.

This, of course, includes the loss of a pet. For Emma Watson, this happened during the filming of Harry Potterand the Philosophers Stone, when her pet Hamster Millie died. At the time, the set decorators actually built a custom-designed, velvet-lined coffin for Millie.

Although Watson only revealed this fun fact to the public in 2014 during a speech at the Britannia Awards, it is clearly symbolic of the tight-knit family that was created from the experience of filming the Harry Potter franchise.

8 An Outbreak Of Head Lice Forced The Postponement Of Chamber Of Secrets

Just because Hogwarts is a magical school does not mean it can’t be subject to one of the most common problems that any school has: head lice.

Indeed, during the preparations and filming for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when the kids were still only just 12 or 13 years old, a real outbreak of head lice resulted in as suspiciously large number of kids – and adults as a result –  scratching their heads on set.

Because of this common pest infiltrating the Harry Potter world, the filming of the Chamber of Secrets actually had to be postponed, as the entire set – and cast and crew – needed to be 100% cleared from every single last louse. Not to mention, the kids needed to stop scratching their heads during filming!

7 Emma Watson Used To Have A Crush On Tom Felton

What with the endless fan fiction shipping Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, along with the charisma of both actors – Emma Watson and Tom Felton – it should come as no surprise that there could have been a budding romance between Watson and Felton behind the scenes.

While it didn’t go that far, Emma Watson did confirm in a 2011 interview with Seventeen that she did have a huge crush on Felton during the filming of the first two Harry Potter films.

Sadly, the feelings were not mutual – or so Tom Felton claimed when asked by the same Seventeen reporter. But we have a hard time believing that, considering it is the beautiful and intelligent Emma Watson that we are talking about.

6 Rupert Grint And Daniel Radcliffe Had A Crush On Emma Watson!

Rupert Grint, meanwhile, was far more open about the feelings he had for Emma Watson during the filming of the Harry Potter franchise.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Grint hinted heavily at a crush he had on Emma Watson on set. In fact, he pointed to the possibility that in addition to himself and the rest of the young cast – whom she was “quite popular” with – Daniel Radcliffe might also have had a crush on her at different times throughout their filming years.

Really, this should come as no surprise. What else can be expected from a group of teenagers growing up together on set? It’s only natural – like the many crushes and jealousies experienced in a high school class.

5 Jason Isaacs Got Caught Stealing Props From The Set

If you were a cast member on the set of Harry Potter, wouldn’t you show off a little? Certainly, this is what Jason Isaacs, who portrays Lucius Malfoy in the films, had in mind when he stole a bunch of Daily Prophet newspapers from set.

In a brief interview at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2010, Isaacs revealed that he was walking around on set with a friend, showing them some of the behind-the-scenes details that most onlookers would never be privy to. Showing off, he grabbed a stack of Daily Prophets. Thinking he got away with it, he went back to his trailer, and minutes later a member of the crew came knocking on his door, asking for the papers back.

Shouldn’t a Slytherin be sneakier?

4 Matthew Lewis Had To Wear A Fat Suit

Of course, it’s common knowledge that Matthew Lewis, the actor who portrays Neville Longbottom in the films, is an extremely attractive young man— now. In fact, he is often applauded for being a perfect example of a “glo up”– someone who has matured incredibly well.

The fact of the matter is, though, that Matthew Lewis was never quite as ugly as he was made out to be, even as a young man. Although Neville was supposed to be a bit plump, as per the books, Lewis didn’t actually fit the description.

To compensate, Lewis had to wear a fat suit. At the time, he hated it, because everyone thought he was actually fat. In hindsight, he admits that he was actually pretty lucky to have had the experience at all.

3 Helena Bonham-Carter Seriously Injured Matthew Lewis While Filming

Matthew Lewis didn’t always have it easy, though. During the filming of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, an incident occurred that we would only wish against our worst enemy.

Helena Bonham-Carter, who portrayed the terrifying Bellatrix Lestrange in the films, was threatening Matthew Lewis as part of her character during filming. Unfortunately, as she tickled his ear with her wand, he moved towards it… and you can guess what happens next.

According to Bonham-Carter, Lewis is such a nice guy that she didn’t even find out until three days later that she had actually punctured his ear drum, and that he had suffered from some internal bleeding from the injury.

Clearly, being a famous actor is not as breezy as first appears, especially when you’re starring along someone who takes their job as seriously as Helena Bonham-Carter.

2 Maggie Smith Went Through Cancer Treatment During Filming

On a more serious note, during the filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dame Maggie Smith, who portrays Professor Minerva McGonagall, was at the same time undergoing cancer treatment for breast cancer.

Despite feeling nauseous and dizzy almost 100% of the time, Smith battled through it – both the cancer, and the filming of the movie. Truly a Gryffindor at heart.

Although she continued on to star in Part 1 and Part 2 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she claimed in an interview with The Times that she was apprehensive about going back to theatre work after the experience.

Of course, she made up for this by going on to star in one of the most well-received period drama television series ever: Downton Abbey.

1 Emma Thompson And Helena Bonham-Carter Had An Unfortunate History

It’s awkward enough when you see your ex once in a blue moon. What about when you have to see the woman who your ex-husband cheated on you with, every day, at work – and you’re a celebrity who is in the public eye?!

That’s exactly what Emma Thompson (Professor Sybill Trelawney) had to go through on set for several movies, as she starred alongside her ex-husband’s ex-lover, Helena Bonham-Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange).

Certainly an awkward situation, but classy as both women are, they didn’t let it affect their working relationship. Thompson made it clear that she had long forgiven her colleague, and even commented on how much she enjoyed Bonham-Carter’s passionate personality that she had gotten to know quite well during the filming of the Harry Potter movies.

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Do you have any behind-the-scenes secrets of Harry Potter to share? Let us know in the comments!