Matthew Lewis Cant Believe Hes A Romantic Lead Either
The actor, best known as the clumsy Neville Longbottom of Harry Potter fame, is a dashing suitor in the PBS reboot of All Creatures Great and Small.
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Matthew Lewiss face is everywhere.
On the wall to his right, grinning on a poster for the 2012 West End revival of Our Boys, a play by Jonathan Lewis. In the alcove behind him, arms crossed and stony-faced in a group shot for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And in front of his laptop camera, eyes widening beneath his gray flat cap and dark brown hair as he explains the seemingly self-promoting background.
Its not my house! the 31-year-old actor said. He and his wife were paying a Christmas Eve visit to his parents in Leeds, the Yorkshire city 200 miles north of London where he was born, he explained . But hed overlooked the fact that their homes study is, well, a shrine to him.
Theyre very proud, he said, as though wishing for nothing more than an Invisibility Cloak.
The seven-episode series, which is based on James Alfred Wights beloved books inspired by his adventures as a young veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire, was a surprise hit when it premiered in Britain this fall. Celebrated as an emotional balm for pandemic-weary viewers, it became Channel 5s highest-rated show since 2016, and has been renewed for a second season.
Jamie Lee Yeates Marcus Flint
Who? You might know him as the Slytherin guy with the crazy teeth. Come on, you were totally spooked by this guys teeth when he showed up on the screen.
Well, youll be glad to know that those teeth that he had were fake. Dentures were key in creating this look for Marcus Flint. Either way, Yeates has grown up quite a bit since the Harry Potter days although we cant see his teeth in this photo, were pretty sure he has a great smile!
Actor Rose To Fame Playing Gawky Wizard In Hit Film Franchise
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Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis has revealed it is painful to watch himself play Neville Longbottom in the long-running franchise.
Lewis portrayed gawky wizard Neville in all eight Harry Potter movies, but confessed that he has a hard time watching the films due to the similarities between himself and the character.
I find it quite difficult when too much of me starts to come through in a character, Lewis told The New York Times. Its easier when I can play someone completely different, like a police officer in London or someone whos wealthy.
He added that this meant he struggles to rewatch the Harry Potter movies today.
At times its painful how much of me there is in Neville, he said. When Im watching, Im like, Thats not Neville thats you.
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Moving On From Neville
In their joint Independent interview, Grint shared how proud he was watching his co-star branch out. In particular, he noted how great it was to see Lewis play “a different role in The Syndicate a real thug, hardcore, but he added vulnerability to it and he was very good.” The lottery-themed anthology TV series was one of many roles Lewis took post-Potter to ensure he wasn’t typecast as Neville.
As he explained to The Standard, “Having played the same character for 10 years, I jump at every opportunity I have to mix it up.” The young actor also admitted that, after taking a stage play to hone his craft and waiting four months for a good review, he was left flummoxed, admitting, “I hadn’t appreciated there would be paying customers and it was a f***ing job. Suddenly I was out of my depth.”
He soon landed high-profile roles in the varied likes of serial killer drama Ripper Street, cop show Happy Valley, and even opposite Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke in romantic weepie Me Before You.
Matthew Lewis Neville Longbottom
In the years leading up to the final installment of the Harry Potter movies, the one character whose appearance changed the most was, without a doubt, Neville Longbottom.
In the Harry Potter universe, Neville was a geeky member of the Gryffindor house who was bullied relentlessly by Draco Malfoy, the Hogwarts school villain. Longbottom was a clumsy, plump goofball who just couldnt get it together. To capture the true character of Neville Longbottom, Matthew Lewis needed to wear a fat suit, shoes that were two sizes too big, and prosthetics placed behind his ears.
Lewis already had crooked teeth, and this characteristic was an important element that added to his awkwardness. His imperfect smile emphasized his geeky, accident-prone character. During filming, Lewis was under a contract that kept him from cosmetic dentistry until after the series was done filming.
But thankfully, Lewis finally got his teeth straightened. After ten years of playing Neville Longbottom, Lewis now gets to show off a killer smile!
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Who Is Neville Actor Matthew Lewis
Though he has comparatively little screentime in the movies, Lewis plays the key character of Neville Longbottom. The Gryffindor is there from Philosophers Stone/ Sorcerers Stone to Deathly Hallows Part Two. His role ranges from sticking up to Hermione in Philosophers Stone, helping Harry in one of his trials during The Goblet of Fire, to eventually destroying Voldemorts Horcrux / pet snake, Nagini using the sword of Gryffindor. He also maintained a bitter rivalry with Bellatrix Lestrange after she tortured his family.
The actor is also famous with Harry Potter fans for having a dramatic physical transformation throughout the films, and without the use of a polyjuice potion!
Hes undoubtedly a fan favorite, but why does he no longer enjoy watching the films that made him famous?
The Actor Who Played Neville Longbottom Grew Up To Be Gorgeous
The world first fell for Matthew Lewis as the nerdy but lovable Neville Longbottom across eight world-conquering Harry Potter movies. As with co-stars Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , and Emma Watson , the baby fat slowly melted off over the years and Neville blossomed in front of our eyes into a genuinely handsome young man. His transformation was so fierce, in fact, that an entire term was coined just to describe it.
Far from being just a pretty face, however, the northern England native is an accomplished actor, serious about his craft and intent on branching out in the wake of what will likely be the defining role of his career. From young lad following in his actor brother’s footsteps to a shirtless hunk setting the Internet alight, Lewis has proven he’s more than just the geeky sidekick. But he’s still a Neville nerd at heart, just like the rest of us.
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Harry Potter Interview Matt Lewis
Emma, Daniel and Rupert may have stormed the tabloids over the last decade as the main Potter trio, but theyre not the only long-serving key cast members.
As Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 arrives in cinemas, we sat down and chatted with Matt Lewis about the beginning of the end.
Lewis, who has played Neville Longbottom in every one of the movies, has seen his key supporting character grow from unassuming, feckless dweeb to leader of the resistance.
As the franchise draws to a close, he spoke about how Neville comes into his own in the explosive finale, how Harry Potters changed his life, his future, and just how happy he is to escape something more terrifying than Voldemort the fat suit thats dogged him for years.
Sky Movies: You were a huge fan of the books before you joined the cast how does it feel now,with it all ending?Matt Lewis: Its kind of odd. If youd asked me 10 years ago if I expected to be here right now, Id have said dont be ridiculous.
Its been a crazy last few years and I feel very privileged to be a part of it. Im a bid sad its over I mean, I dont have a job anymore < laughs> .
Its been so much fun that Ill miss it but Im looking forward to the future and trying something new.
Young Neville
SM: Youve been in every Harry Potter film so far how has it been coping with the fame?
Ive still got all the same friends as before and I still live in Leeds, so my home life has stayed fairly the same.
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“I never wanted to put myself in the limelight as any kind of attractive actor or heartthrob or whatever,” he said. “It was never something I saw myself as, and I still don’t.”
Alas, such is the way the wand crumbles, especially when the shirtless pics start making the rounds.
But Lewis knows he’s not alone amid the pack of child stars who got their big break in the Harry Potter films and proceeded to grow up in the spotlight.
Lewis is celebrating his 31st birthday today, so we’re checking in with Dumbledore’s Army, the misguided Slytherins and assorted Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and visitors to Hogwarts in his honor:
The boy who played Harry Potter is ever grateful for the role that knocked down all the doors for him, but he’s also been busy scrubbing any child-star residue from his acting image, starting with his raw, nudity-requiring Broadway debut in Equus in 2007. He followed that up with the more chipper How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 2011. For years he has alternated between theater and film , leaning heavily into the dramatic and/or the absurd.
Sober since 2010, Radcliffe has also been open about drinking to excess back when the Harry Potter franchise was nearing its finish and, already more famous than he ever dreamed, he was anxious about his next step in life.
“In my case, the quickest way to forget about the fact that you’re being watched is to get very drunk,” he said on Off Camera With Sam Jones in 2019.
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Harry Potter Actor Matthew Lewis Admits It Is Painful Watching Himself In The Film Series
Actor Matthew Lewis at European premiere of the film “Me Before You” on May 25, 2016. Lewis portrayed Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter film series.
It would seem that British actor Matthew Lewis would prefer an invisibility cloak over watching his performance in the films, according to People online.
The actor, 31, starred in the role of the harmless and somewhat clumsy Neville Longbottom in the film series adapted from the J.K. Rowlings hit novels.
Just as the three top stars, Lewis appeared in all the films, playing Neville Longbottom for 10 years, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in 2001. Lewis, age 12 at the time the film was released, had to wear a set of false teeth, shoes two sizes too big, a fat suit, and ear prosthetics.
His performance in the final film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 garnered him critical praise.
However, Lewis has recently revealed that when he re-watches the films, it is painful for him. I find it quite difficult when too much of me starts to come through in a character, he told The New York Times.
Lewiss portrayal of Neville, he said, hit a little too close to home. He added, Its easier when I can play someone completely different, like a police officer in London or someone whos wealthy. At times its painful how much of me there is in Neville, he said. When Im watching, Im like, Thats not Neville thats you.
Despite having discomfort watching himself, Lewis realizes:
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Matthew Lewis Had A Busy 2020
2020 saw Matthew Lewis back on the big screen in a dramedy out of New Zealand, “Baby Done.” Starring alongside Kiwi comedian Rose Matafeo of “Funny Girls” and “The Breaker Upperers” fame Lewis plays a dad-to-be whose partner hastily draws up a pre-parenthood bucket list upon learning the couple are expecting. Produced by antipodean comedy legend Taika Waititi, the lovable film was celebrated by critics, who praised the pair’s easygoing onscreen chemistry .
Following “Baby Done,” Lewis has lately made headlines for his turn as Hugh Hulton on the Channel 5 series “All Creatures Great And Small.” Airing on PBS in the States, the period piece dramatizes James Herriot’s bestselling tales of his life as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire. Lewis brings authenticity to the role hailing from that very part of the world himself but he’s admitted to feeling the pressure, too. “The original series is a bit of an institution in Yorkshire, and my dad really wanted me to do it,” he told the New York Times.
The proud Yorkshireman is keeping up the local connection offscreen too, launching a Leeds United football fan podcast with former LUFC striker Jermaine Beckford in 2020. He may live across the Atlantic in Florida these days, but Lewis clearly isn’t one to forget where he came from and as we can see, that’s a pretty long way.
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Neville Asked To Be Placed In Hufflepuff
While we all know that Neville was a true Gryffindor , when he first started at Hogwarts, he was determined that wasnt the case. He actually asked the Sorting Hat to place him in Hufflepuff, as he was intimidated by Gryffindors reputation for bravery, but the Sorting Hat didnt agree. They debated it for so long, that he was close to being what is known as a Hatstall, which is a term for any student whose Sorting takes longer than five minutes. Hatstalls are very rare and the only other person in his year to come close to being one was Hermione Granger. The Sorting Hat eventually won, and we think it made the correct choice.
In this image:
Harry Potter And Recognition
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
In 1999, castings were held across the UK for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the film adaptation of British author J. K. Rowling‘s . Lewis, a fan of the series, initially attended an open audition at the Queens Hotel, Leeds, before being contacted two months later to perform a screen test for director Christopher Columbus, eventually scoring the role of Neville Longbottom.Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 2001 and became a critical and commercial hit. For the part, Lewis had to wear a set of false teeth, shoes two sizes too big, a fat suit, and ear prosthetics. He reprised his role a year later in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Lewis has stated that his favorite lines stem from the film.
Lewis returned once more for the final installments of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 . His performance was praised by critics for his “scene stealing potential” CTV News referred to Lewis as a “breakout stud” and “man of action”.Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling gave a speech at the premiere of Deathly Hallows Part 2 in London, where she stated that there were seven major cast members in the series, whom she referred to as “The Big Seven”, and she named Lewis as one of the seven members, along with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, and Bonnie Wright.
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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
With Harry’s absence and the control of Hogwarts in the hands of Severus Snape and Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Neville spends much of his seventh year at Hogwarts as the resistance leader against Voldemort’s takeover. Together with Ginny and Luna, Neville reactivates Dumbledore’s Army, stepping into the leadership position in Harry’s absence and helping students who were tormented under the new regime. Neville reveals that the Carrows beat him and that the Death Eaters targeted his grandmother when Neville was acting up at school. Neville goes into hiding in the Room of Requirement, which he shows an incredible ability to control. Upon Harry’s return to Hogwarts, Neville sends messages to the D.A., which in turn gathers the Order of the Phoenix.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, he is spotted twice by Harry using his knowledge of Herbology to help ward off the attackers. He is later seen helping Oliver Wood carry the body of Colin Creevey. When Voldemort returns with Harry’s apparently lifeless body, Neville defies him, and decapitates Nagini with the Sword of Godric Gryffindor , thus destroying the final Horcrux and making Voldemort mortal once again. When the battle goes to the Great Hall, he is shown assisting Ron in taking down Fenrir Greyback. After the battle is won, Neville is shown surrounded by a group of admirers.
Epilogue
The Lessons Of Neville Longbottom
Ann HoevelSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Matthew Lewis takes inspiration from his character Neville Longbottom
- J.K. Rowling said he portrayed the Longbottom character just as she imagined him
- According to Lewis, American fans of Harry Potter are louder than U.K. fans
— Actor Matthew Lewis, who spent the last 10 years portraying Neville Longbottom, the awkward, nerdy pal to the trio of students at the center of the Harry Potter films, is moving on.
As the last of eight films based on the books by J.K. Rowling hits movie screens across America, Lewis spoke with CNN about his journey as Neville and how it has not just affected him, but prepared him for a career as an actor.
CNN: Neville Longbottom starts out as a pretty psychologically wounded character, and you have been able to portray his journey of personal growth. Most people pay a lot of money to psychologists to make a journey like that. What life lessons have you learned from Neville?
Lewis: Oh wow. the great thing about Neville — what message he conveys that J.K. Rowling wrote for him — was that you can have any kind of disadvantage at the start of your life and it doesn’t define you. You can still go on to be whoever you want to be. As long as you have friends around you and you have a belief in doing the right thing, you can go on to be a hero. It doesn’t matter what humble beginnings you came from. I think that’s really inspiring. I think that’s a really nice life lesson.
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