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Were you aHarry Potterfan growing up?I was a little bit.
I wasnt a Potterhead, I dont think.
Its when the reveal happens of where Peter Scabbers was the rat.
I remember it freaked my mum out, I remember as a kid going, What?
That was always my favorite one, the third book.My favorite as well.
Plus I love Sirius Black.
Hes a bad boy.
I love him so much.
When I first got the call for theHarry Potterplay, I was still at drama school.
I went, Oh, they probably want me to play Sirius Black.
Then we just started to sculpt.
I remember reading the play in a guarded room; I just couldnt turn the pages quick enough.
They gave me the role, so it was lovely.
Unlike Sirius, Scorpius is a very awkward person.
He loves quizzes, and loves books, and is kind of a dork.
What was your reaction to the character?I loved it.
Its got that light and that darkness.
The thing with his mother [who is deathly ill], thats really the root of him.
Christine Jones, the designer, and I worked on the wand.
He goes to Ollivanders, and the only wand that would pick him was the tiny little crooked twig.
A lot of the play is about these younger characters looking up at the older characters.
How do we relate to our older generation?
Scorpius and Albus immediately relate to each other and find support in each other.
Also, I think what connects them is humor.
It just means a great deal to him that Albus finds him funny.
I think humor is a key form of friendship.
So hanging out with Albus is probably just the sort of solace that he has.
It felt really rudimentary.
I really enjoyed the character.
I just focused on that.
So when all the hype did come, it was like, Oh, shit.
I was just sort of like, Fuck, I dont want to fuck things up.
In London, people are like, holding tea and saucers.
Here, its just raucous.
Theres a funny thing, people here vocalize recognition.
So if something happens that they understand, they go, Ah.
I think if I go back to London, Ill be like, I want more energy!
The laughter here is a lot longer and more vocal.
So it can start to fuck with bits of rhythm, it can change.
Ive started to change different tone and cadence, for a more American rhythm, for the comedy bits.
Whereas here, its more light.
Like a difference between the BritishOfficeand the AmericanOffice?Thats exactly what it is.
I cant watch the AmericanOffice.
Is it too kind?I feel its very put on.
Do you know what I mean?
Did you watch the British one?
I was obsessed with David Brent.
I could quote every word.
I knew that I wanted to do acting, so I just Googled auditions every day.
Id done so many bad productions.
I had a bag over my head.
Ive done some awful things.
I think I had a lot of creative energy and no output.
I was a bit of a scallywag.
Do you guys have that word over here?
Scallywag [laughs].
I was like, But I dont have any money.
I wasnt even aware drama school was a thing.
She helped me financially and everything else to go to this school.
I had this amazing time.
So wed be rehearsing Shakespeare, and outside youd see fucking ducks and swans.
It was just like a complete world change, culture shock.
Were eating hummus and drinking green tea.
Id never really read any contemporary plays.
I got quite obsessed.
They know you in one vein, and then seeing you in that is like, What the fuck?
They were really proud.
Really bursting with pride.
My brothers one of my best pals.
He sees me in everything.
My brother and my friend, who used to be a drug dealer.
Bringing him to these events feels like a weird thing.
They always say to me, It wasnt as good asArabia.
Which I quite enjoy.
They dont give a fuck because it wasnt as cool as that other one.
I practiced a loser clap the night before.
I got peoples names wrong.
I said Tiffany Johns instead of John Tiffany.
I didnt even thank my mum and dad either.
God, my mum does not let me forget about that.
It was my first week of drama school, and I flew back to do it.
It was my first job.
I must have been 17, and I get asked about that all the time.
It just makes me laugh though, because Im like the only Cockney in Westeros.
It was the only English accent I could do, and it was just so bad.
Are you conscious of how your accent sounds now?My accents changed a lot.
No one used to understand a word I said.
Im from a really rough place.
You wouldnt understand a word my brother would speak.
So Ive got this best of both worlds.
