We all know Neville Longbottom as one of the most memorable Harry Potter good guys – the likable loser with a heart of gold who ultimately stepped up to decapitate a very special snake in one of the franchise’s best movies. But it turns out that actor Matthew Lewis has a bit of a taste for Harry Potter villains.
Lewis was just five years old when he took on his first acting role, then secured the chance to play one of the best Harry Potter characters at the age of 10. A decade later, he had cheekbones and found himself destroying Horcruxes. Life comes at you fast.
Speaking to Mugglenet on the red carpet for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009, Lewis responded to a question about which other character he’d like to play by citing one of the best Harry Potter villains.
Lewis said: “I love Neville. I think he’s a great character, but if I had to play another one it would be someone nasty or someone on the other side like Lucius Malfoy. I think Jason Issacs does a great job as Lucius Malfoy but I think that would be quite cool.”
It feels difficult to imagine Lucas ever descending as far into villainy as Isaacs does. He’s just too charming, but perhaps he has it in his locker somewhere.
In the meantime, we’ve very much enjoyed seeing his post-Potter choices, including appearing alongside comedian Rose Matafeo in the vastly underrated Baby Done – one of the best rom-coms of the last few years.
Lewis has always had a gift for making us laugh, even back in his earliest Potter days, so we think he could have some of the best comedy movies of his career ahead of him.
But if you can’t get enough of the Wizarding World, we’ve got guides to some Dumbledore facts and Voldemort facts you might not know, as well as everyone who’s owned the Elder Wand.
You can also find out how to watch all the Harry Potter movies in order and learn about the secret horror movie reference in Harry Potter, as well as how Alan Rickman’s wife saved Snape’s death scene.
We’ve also looked ahead to the new movies and best TV series ahead in the franchise, including the Fantastic Beasts 4 release date, the Harry Potter TV series release date, and the possible Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release date.