HSK Exam - The ups and downs of being Potter-film child stars

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






The ups and downs of being Potter-film child stars

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-27 07:50









Actors Daniel Radcliffe (R), Rupert Grint (L), and Emma Watson pose
during a photocall to promote the new film 'Harry Potter and the Order of
the Phoenix' at County Hall in London, June 25, 2007. [Reuters]



LONDON (Reuters) - Dodging paparazzi and juggling homework with filming
are just some of the drawbacks of being a teenaged movie star, the young
actors from the "Harry Potter" film series said.

Daniel Radcliffe has played boy wizard Harry Potter since the start of
the Warner Bros. franchise in 2001, and has signed up to the part until
the series ends with the seventh film, slated for release in 2010.

"The only things that can be troublesome -- there's a lesser degree of
spontaneity in my life ... than there would be in other teenagers,"'
Radcliffe said of his fame, while stressing that he loved the acting and
filming itself.

"If someone says, 'Do you want to come to this particular club?' it could
be hard, because you couldn't just go. You'd have to find out what the
place was like first," he added, referring to celebrity hangouts popular
with photographers.

The 17-year-old, a household name in Britain with personal wealth
estimated at over 20 million pounds ($39.98 million), has turned to
theater to develop his career, most recently in Peter Shaffer's "Equus,"
in which he played a troubled stable boy.

"Every night I was coming out of the theater when I was doing 'Equus,'
there would be paparazzi there," he told Reuters in a recent interview to
promote "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth Potter
film released next month.

"So ... I would wear the same hat and the same jacket every single night
on the way out, so that it all looked like photos from the same night. It
was quite a good idea."

He said his relationship with the media was generally good, although it
could get harder when he turns 18 next month.

"I just think I'm going to be more sort of fair game," he explained.

STUDIES AND STUDIOS

Co-star Emma Watson, who plays Harry's friend Hermione Granger at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has to juggle schoolwork with
filming and publicity work for the movies, including interviews, press
conferences and red-carpet events.

"I love doing it, don't get me wrong, but there is a lot of pressure and
a lot of responsibility," the 17-year-old told Reuters. "I have a job as
well as doing school.

"Harry Potter is such a big franchise, it never really stops. It's kind
of like a full-time job because even when you've made a film it's not
over. It's never over."

She agreed with Radcliffe that her fame restricted what she did as a
teenager, although she worked hard to keep her professional and personal
lives apart.

"One of the things about being a teenager is you just do what you want
and you let your hair down and you dye your hair funny colors and you
experiment and you do crazy things.

"I'm not really being able to do that in quite the same way that a lot of
my friends are."

Watson also wants to continue acting after the Potter series is over, but
plans to go to college, probably in Britain, as one way of keeping her
options open.

"It's a really hard business to be in and I just get the sense that I
always want to have something else to hold on to."

Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, told a press conference last week
that he had bought an ice cream van, which was an option for the future
should his acting career fail.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" opens in theaters in July,
and follows Potter and his magical pals as they rally a small group of
followers to prepare for a battle against dark forces that Harry knows
lies ahead.








Related Stories



� Cast members pose for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
===========================================================================
� Harry Potter faces evil, teen angst in "Phoenix"
===========================================================================
� Harry Potter casts spell on location vacations
===========================================================================
� Could boy archaeologist be next Harry Potter?
===========================================================================
� Harry Potter' film to open 2 days early
===========================================================================
� "Harry Potter" film to premiere in Tokyo
===========================================================================










Top Entertaiment News




� Paris Hilton released from jail

� Tom Sizemore gets 16-month sentence

� McCartney to play L.A. record store Wednesday

� Germany bans Cruise film from military sites

� Bullock goes to Church for romantic comedy





Today's Top News




� Inflows of hot money to be curbed

� $5 billion African fund launched

� Polluters will be forced to pay more

� Hu to visit HK for 10th anniversary

� Tougher penalty sought for emergency cover-ups





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese School, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet