The last Harry Potter film was released in cinemas twelve years ago. But while many stars said goodbye to their Hogwarts roles back then, the now 36-year-old is standing Tom Felton under the crippling clinging curse of his Draco Malfoy. Petrificus Totalus, film career! Only a look behind the scenes shows that he has been through a lot:
Tom Felton was Harry Potter’s nemesis Draco Malfoy… and then?
Daniel Radcliffe now only plays roles that are as far removed from Harry Potter as possible. Emma Watson got her start in Hollywood before consciously taking a break from acting. And Tom Felton? Tom Felton is still Draco Malfoy.
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Tom Felton as Harry Potter rival Draco Malfoy
This is not least because he is one of the few stars continues to interact a lot with the Harry Potter fandom. Which makes him a fan favorite today. Felton loved coming to the 20th Harry Potter reunion. He publicly jokes with movie father Lucius Malfoy. He is active as a Potterhead on TikTok and Instagram, for example by choosing the most contemptible “Potter!” exclamation.
Other stars such as the Weasley twins Oliver Phelps and James Phelps have not mastered the acting transition from Harry Potter and are now living off their continued fame at Hogwarts. But Tom Felton has not been lazy and filmed over the past 12 years over 20 films and 5 series. Most of them didn’t make much waves. But German audiences have probably already heard of the sci-fi blockbuster Planet of the Apes: Prevolution, the historical drama Dido Elizabeth Belle and the series The Flash.
20th Century Fox
Planet of the Apes put Tom Felton in the same reel cage
However, he embodied the antagonist character in these films. Whether it was a cruel zookeeper, a stubborn nobleman or a superhero looking for the philosopher’s stone (!) – they were all just variations of Draco Malfoy. Tom Felton was a victim of typecastingi.e. the determination of an actor for a certain type of role.
But Tom Felton’s dark career path behind the scenes shows that there is more to the roller cage. The star only recently revealed his big crisis.
Harry Potter star Tom Felton reveals a frightening story in the final pages of his autobiography
A few months ago Tom Felton published his autobiography, which he called Beyond the Magic *. As many fans had hoped, the book placed a large emphasis on memories of the Harry Potter filming. For example, the ex-Draco actor described how he became a world savior in an alternative ending or stepped on the cloak of an angry Snape.
Ebury Spotlight
Tom Felton’s Harry Potter biography Beyond the Wand
What few people expected, however, were the last three of the 27 chapters. In it, Tom Felton described his story beyond funny Harry Potter anecdotes Fall into the harsh post-Potter reality. He attended many unsuccessful castings and had to fight for almost every new role. Unlike in his native Britain, Hollywood treated him as a celebrity after he moved to LA. However, the superficial fame only masked the increasing emptiness and loneliness in his life, which he filled with alcohol.
The very personal one Alcohol, drug and addiction history, which Tom Felton tells in his book, may sound like a repetition of countless star CVs. But when he reports on the dramatic intervention of his closest confidants and his escape on foot from the rehab clinic, Tom Felton’s openness inevitably hits home. Because the Draco actor was so familiar to us after countless Harry Potter rewatches without us knowing anything about his medical history.
Luckily: Tom Felton’s future will remain connected to Harry Potter
According to his own statements, Tom Felton doesn’t want to portray himself as a victim who was “seduced” by Hollywood, but rather that Overcoming the stigma of talking about mental illness. He doesn’t feel good every day and he wants the world to know that. He now lives back in England and likes to show himself playing the guitar or with his dog in his social media posts. He avoids factors that could lead him back down a darker path. Draco Malfoy is not one of them.
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These days, Tom Felton plays smaller roles and seems happy with them. He has given up on a new international breakthrough for the time being. If he doesn’t move away from the healing world of Harry Potter fandom distanced, this is obviously also due to the positive feelings he can get from it. He draws strength from the past, better times and brings this strength into the present. And if that helps him have better mental health and happiness in his acting life, then maybe Draco Malfoy will do some good after all.
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