Tom Felton: 'The Harry Potter audition was the worst of my life, but maybe also the best'

“I learned it an hour ago, it's incredible,” he enthuses when referring to the

series  that Warner Bros and HBO are preparing.

It already seems a long way off, the time when Tom Felton, 12, walked through the doors of Hogwarts for the first time - in other words, those of success.

In his autobiography

(1), released in France on Wednesday April 12, the interpreter of Draco Malfoy returns in turn to his experience as a child actor, his (almost) failed audition for

, and his first steps as the devious Slytherin.

A book in which he also discusses his relationship with Emma Watson, his "soul mate", and a darker period of his life, punctuated by stays in rehab.

These stories, which have slept in the actor's notebooks for twenty years, highlight the "real Tom".

The one who sometimes got lost on the way to notoriety, to better find himself.

Now rid of his peroxide blond hair, the actor leads a peaceful existence, not far from Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and with his two dogs Willow and Forrest, who, he jokes, help him keep the feet on the ground.

He has not neglected the film sets, however, and will soon be starring in

, a feature film produced by him, which relates the life of Ann Axtell Morris, one of the first American women archaeologists.

No doubt: for Tom Felton, the magic of cinema has not finished operating.

Read alsoTwenty years after "Harry Potter", Emma Watson and Tom Felton speak to each other "almost every week"

In video,

Harry Potter back at Hogwarts,

the trailer

A hectic hearing

In

, Tom Felton reflects on his experience on the set of

.

Courtesy of Leduc editions

Miss Figaro.

-

I was 7 years old when I shot in my first film.

I think at that age, you just look for an excuse not to go to school.

Even on the set of the

movies , we were just kids having fun.

It required little skill.

It's only over the years that we've started to pay more attention to our acting.

It was the worst audition of my life, but maybe also the best

Tom Felton

You write that your family is very different from the Malfoys.

In what ?

Draco Malfoy has the worst father in the world, and his mother isn't great either.

He is also an only child.

Me, I have three big brothers, and loving parents, who supported me in all the diverse and varied passions that I had while growing up.

Sometimes I wanted to be an ice hockey player, sometimes a violinist.

Acting was just one of those passions, but they encouraged me to do so, as they always have.

We certainly did not expect what was to follow.

You were 12 when you auditioned for

It happened during the early days of casting.

All children in England could present themselves at the auditions.

99% of them had read the book, and knew it inside out.

They lined us up and asked each of us what part of the book we were looking forward to seeing on screen.

When my turn came, I thought to myself, "Damn, I don't know anything about books."

My neighbor talked about Gringotts (

) and gave the same answer, before adding, "I can't wait to see those Gringotts fly."

Chris Columbus knew I was lying, and that's when he thought, "That person would make a good Malfoy."

It was the worst audition of my life, but maybe also the best.

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Passing of the torch

How has your perception of

When the first

book came out, I thought I was too cool to read it.

A boy wizard who lives under a staircase, that didn't interest me much.

But obviously, when I got the part, I read it very quickly.

is the one that gave me back my taste for reading, and afterwards, I devoured them all.

We didn't know they were movie legends, but they treated us like adults

Tom Felton

You talk a lot about transmission in your book.

What did you learn from the more experienced actors you worked with on the set of the

Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, had a knack for being the nicest guy in the world, and turning into a movie villain in the blink of an eye.

It was pretty creepy.

But I admired him, just as I admired the kindness that each actor showed towards the younger ones and the film crews.

We didn't know they were movie legends, but they treated us like adults and saw the rest of the crew as friends, which set a great example for us to follow.

Which cast members are you still in contact with?

Everyone, even the Gryffindors.

I often go golfing with the Phelps twins (

).

Rupert Grint, aka Ron Weasley, lives a stone's throw from my house.

I see Emma Watson whenever I can, and I've spent time with Daniel Radcliffe in New York.

We have a WhatsApp group, which allows us all to stay in touch.

“Emma and I are still very close friends”

How did your friendship with Emma Watson begin, and how did it evolve?

When filming started, she was 9 years old.

I was 12. It made a lot of difference at that time.

I have three older brothers, so I kinda played the cool guy.

We hung out with the whole cast, but Emma and I share a very similar sense of humor.

We are still very close friends.

We don't see each other as often as I would like, but every time I get the chance to see her, or talk to her, we have a great time.

What I like best about Emma Watson is her generosity and her sense of humor

Tom Felton

What do you admire most about her?

She is incredibly smart.

She has a huge heart and she is very talented.

I don't think anyone could have played Hermione the way she did.

And his roles since have all been fantastic.

But her generosity and her sense of humor are definitely my favorite things about her.

Feet on the ground

Harry Potter

As best I could.

I feel very lucky because my hair is no longer platinum blonde, so maybe I'm less recognizable.

I don't even consider myself famous anymore.

I forget it all the time.

When kids look at me askance, I feel like I've done something wrong.

Then I realize they just recognized me.

My friends and family aren't interested in my career, which makes things easier.

I also have two dogs, and believe me, they don't care about my professional life either.

I don't consider myself famous anymore

Tom Felton

In your book, you talk a lot about mental health.

Why was it important for you to write about this?

Like all the stories in the book, I had written these pages long before.

I had not expected that they would one day be read by others.

But it was important for me to include those chapters, because that's what happened to me.

I thought it was important to be honest.

And the reception the autobiography received in England confirmed my idea.

I encourage the younger ones to talk about their own struggles with those around them.

This has personally helped me a lot.

In video, Emma Watson takes part in the celebrity-only pickleball tournament

behind the camera

You recently produced your first film.

How was this experience?

I love stories, whether they come from books, animated films or short films.

And I'm fascinated by cameras.

I'm a bit of a geek about this.

It was the first opportunity for me to go behind the camera, while playing in front of it.

And there's more going on behind the camera than I thought.

It was a kind of electric shock.

But I really enjoyed the experience and can't wait for the movie to hit theaters.

Going behind the camera was kind of a shock

Tom Felton

How did you feel after filming

It was difficult, because the last two films were shot as one feature film.

Everyone was exhausted.

But the prospect of filming the end of the saga was very exciting.

We didn't think about the fact that this might be the last time we would all be together.

Besides, on the last day, we each had different schedules.

My fear was above all never to see these film sets again, which were a bit like our home.

Studios

, in London, and it's phenomenal.

I went there two weeks ago.

I watched these families come from all over the world to visit them.

For me, the

experience is not over, far from it.

(1)

, by Tom Felton, published April 12, 2023, Ed. Leduc, 392 p., €19.90