Wizarding fans from across the country gathered in the Marriott Atrium Ballroom on Friday at 4PM and in the Marriott Imperial Ballroom on Saturday at 11:30AM to welcome some of our favorite Gryffindors to Dragon Con. “Live from the Gryffindor Common Room!” gave fans a chance to ask some of their most pressing questions to Matthew Lewis, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, and Bonnie Wright with Katelyn Matthews moderating the Friday panel and Kiki Falkanger moderating the Saturday panel.
Fans at Friday’s panel got to hear about some of the cast’s behind-the-scenes moments, their thoughts about growing up on set and finding themselves, bits about their personal interests, and so much laughter. The friendship between the four was evident and created a cozy atmosphere for all the fans in the room.
When asked about improvised moments, the cast said there weren’t very many. Wright commented that adapting the book to screen was incredibly difficult for the writers, producers, and everyone involved, so once a script was finalized, it was held sacred. You don’t see that on many sets. Of the lines that did get improvised, the Phelps twins stayed true to character and improvised their synchronized “feet off the table” line in the Weasley’s Quidditch World Cup tent in Goblet of Fire. Wright’s first two words in the movie series were added last minute when Ginny wished Harry good luck going through the wall to Platform 9 ¾ in Sorcerer’s Stone. Lewis was given total freedom for Neville’s reaction to almost falling to his death when he said, “That went well,” after blowing up the bridge during the Battle of Hogwarts in Deathly Hollows Part II.
Some of the most iconic scenes in the movies took place in the Great Hall, where students feasted on an array of magical delicacies that looked absolutely scrumptious—turns out those looks were only for film. Actually being on set with the food was a less than pleasant experience. Some of the cast learned the hard way not to eat too much on the first take because they’d have to eat exactly the same amount on the 50th take—and when they’re filming the same scene four days later. And the butterbeer that’s so delicious at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter? It’s orange juice and egg whites, definitely not as delicious.
When a fan asked our favorite on-screen Gryffindors where they themselves would be sorted, only Oliver and Wright believe Gryffindor was the house they’d actually be in. Wright got sorted when she was a teen and was firmly Gryffindor but wondered if maybe her house would change as she got older and gained new experiences. James gave a special shout-out to Hufflepuffs as one himself. Lewis continued the ‘Puff love but added in that he’s also gotten Ravenclaw so settled with Ravenpuff.
Steering away from the Wizarding World, one fan asked for recommendations on visiting London when he and his partner celebrate their anniversary. Wright suggested getting lost in the city and spending a day wandering around because the city is well planned enough that you’ll always find your way back. Take in the culture, see the Harry Potter sets, and go to the pub. James said the best experience is waking up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday and taking a bus ride to which Lewis replied, “if you’re waking up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday in London, you did Saturday wrong.” Oliver recommended taking a walk around South Bend.
When asked about who they’d cosplay outside of the wizarding world, Oliver quickly jumped in answering that he’d be Bandit from Bluey. Wright reminisced about a time when she was eight and dressed up as Maggie, so she’d likely cosplay one of the Simpsons and give everyone a “big yellow hug.” James would cosplay as Hans Moleman to go with Wright’s cosplay. Lewis stated that he’s a huge nerd so he loves dressing up—this year he’ll be Cloud from Final Fantasy VII.
The Saturday panel started off light-hearted with moderator Kiki Falkanger asking the cast their favorite southern foods they’ve had either this week or in previous visits to the south. For Wright, she’s enjoyed peach cobbler and peach pie in the past, but her favorite is fried green tomatoes. James likes grits. When he orders them, he tells people he’s not from here, so he asks how he can get them. He’s tried many varieties. Oliver playfully asked the audience what he should ask for, and some recommended chicken and waffles. Lewis was less enthusiastic about that suggestion.
The first question the audience asked was if the cast were back at Hogwarts, would they misbehave on a potion test? In uncharacteristic Fred Weasley fashion, James talked about kids being honest and trying hard in school. Lewis, however, noted they’re in their late 30s or early 40s, so the statute of limitations for cheating passed a long time ago. Wright playfully suggested that if she had a special annotated book of potions to help her on tests, she’d keep it to herself so professors would think her a very smart witch.
Following a question about funniest behind-the-scenes moments from the movies, James talked about rehearsing for the Yule Ball in the fourth movie. During rehearsals, it was just like a school dance for teens. All the girls stood on one side of the room, excited and anxious to learn dancing. Meanwhile, the boys awkwardly stood on the opposite side of the room, looking at their shoes, nervous about the prospect.
That discussion led to a question about what scenes were dropped from the books that the actors wish would’ve ended up in the movies. Wright noted how much great material from the books didn’t end up in the movies but joked that the studios could’ve done six more movies, a part one and part two for every single book, and people would’ve watched every bit of it. She wished there could’ve been more scenes in the movies showing the development of Harry and Ginny’s relationships as well as more development of the Wesley family at the Burrows. Referring back to the Yule Ball scene in the fourth movie, Lewis lamented rehearsing a tango with Wright for weeks beforehand, but then they didn’t film it.
A fan asked the cast what question had they never received before that they wished someone would ask. James joked that he’s become a bit of a nerd as an adult. He loves to stargaze and wishes someone would ask him what kind of telescope he owned. He really got into it during the COVID pandemic. He’d be out stargazing a lot at night, and when he got back, his wife would jokingly question him about where he’d been all evening, to which he’d respond “I was quite literally on the roof.” He’d be up there with his dog.
When someone asked what scenes would the cast like to redo or revisit from the movies, Lewis said he’d like to do the whole thing all over again. As a child actor, he lacked training. He learned on the fly during the movies and feels he was a little rough around the edges.
What was it like for the actors to grow up on set like they did? Wright was grateful social media didn’t exist when they started the movies. Yes, there were places online where fans discussed the books and movies, but for the most part, they were able to avoid a public-facing life. When filming each movie, they lived in a bubble, and it was only at premieres that they realized how huge the stories and movies were for people. She never got used to those moments, but they were short experiences.
Lewis added that when they were younger it was all fun. They came in and acted their parts. It was normal. Only when they were older and attended public appearances did they realize the impact the movies had on people. After that, their performances took on more weight for them, and they took their jobs even more seriously. Not that they screwed around when they were younger, but they pushed themselves more as they progressed.
When the cast was asked what older character would they like to play now, James joked, Death Eater number four. Lewis chose Professor Lupin because of how much he mentored Neville and Harry. He would like the opportunity to play that nurturing role. Wright, however, wanted to switch sides and play Bellatrix Lestrange.
One audience member wanted to know what sage advice the actors received as children from the adult actors. For Wright, it was watching and listening to them. She didn’t even know basic acting terminology at the time, and it was years before she worked up the courage to ask. Alan Rickman told Lewis to act on the stage to become better and mentioned how hard the industry could be. At the time, Lewis dismissed the advice, thinking “how hard could it be?” Later, he took Rickman’s advice. The initial six months Lewis spent on his first play were very tough, but he believes he would not be an actor today if he had not followed Rickman’s advice. The moderator asked the cast when they stopped being intimidated by Rickman. Answer: Never!
Toward the end of the panel, someone asked the cast what projects they were working on that they could talk about. Oliver coyly responded, “Watch Instagram tonight!”
If you missed the first two “Live from the Gryffindor Common Room!” panels, you can check out the third and final session on Sunday at 1:00PM in the Marriott Imperial Ballroom, with Matthew Lewis and the Phelps brothers.
