CBS The Early Show on November 18. 2002
Watch the LIVE VIDEO Interview
One of
the actors making his Harry-Potter debut in the second film is scene-stealing
Jason Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy, the evil father of Harry's nemesis, Draco.
Isaacs has made a name for himself as a villain in films like "The Patriot," "Dragonheart,"
and "Black Hawk Down." As a new character, Issacs knew he faced a challenge to
become part of the tight-knit ensemble from the first movie, led by Daniel
Radcliffe who plays Harry. CBS News' Randall Pinkston caught up with
Isaacs in London.
“My
litmus test was the kids. When I walked on and did my first lines, my first
rehearsals and Daniel went, 'God, is that how you're going to talk, that's so
cool.' I went, 'I passed the test with Daniel, so it'll be all right,'”
says Isaacs.
“Malfoy's voice is based on a very, very patronizing
bullying teacher I had at drama school whose voice is like fingernails on a
blackboard,”
"You don’t get the voice right,,you don’t get the character right"
Isaacs
explains. According to Isaacs, his character is not a villain.
“He's a misunderstood hero but he has his own agenda. It
just so happens his agenda is not very pleasant. It's about ridding the world of
this subhuman species polluting pure wizardry. The mudbloods.”
Isaacs says there was nothing on the page or in the script about how Malfoy
should treat his nasty son, Draco, so he played a cruel father.
“And I arrived to do the scene the first day and I just,
it just felt right that I should grab him by the ear, really and twist it and it
felt like I should rap him over the knuckles with my cane told Chris (Columbus),
the director, but I didn't tell the actor. And he looked up at me with those sad
eyes of his and I wasn't sure if I had upset the actor or if he was in
character, but he's a great actor he was going with it because it made sense.
"Playing him, I understood for instance, when I was bullying my own son and
treating Draco so badly that probably come from a very, very long line of cold
brutal fathers producing cold brutal sons. I think when you watch the film
you'll understand why Draco is the bully at school,” Isaacs says.
Isaacs was totally consumed by his character, right down to the costume.
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“ Actually when I went in they wanted me to have short, gray hair. But I said..you must be kidding me, I’m only going to play wizard once in my life. I WANT long hair. I WANT velvet and I WANT fur!"
How much work have you done in your professional career previously with children?
" Well I was a children entertainer . When I was in drama school that’s what I did on weekends for cash. But these kids were more normal than I’ve ever met on a film set. They’re probably the most famous kids in the world right now but they’re very courteous, very humble. There were hundreds of other kids on set being other people at Hogwarts but there seemed to be no difference between them."
So would he be in the next Potter movie?
"Sadly I’m not in the third book so I can’t be in the
third film. Unless I play some other character which would be strange."
“I am in the 4th book and when they get to that, I'm
looking forward to doing it. I wish they'd skip straight to the 4th and come
back and do the third one but they won't listen to me,” he quips.
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