There’s a lot happening in the Harry Potter world right now as both the stars and fans gear up for the upcoming Harry Potter 20th Reunion Special. While some of the returning original stars have been open about the fame of their childhood haunting them with anonymity so many years later, Tom Felton has always been enthusiastic about the Harry Potter franchise that filled his childhood. Now Felton opens up about the fame he found at such a young age and whether he feels as though it is ever a burden in his adult life.
Apparently Tom Felton doesn’t think of being a child star in one of the biggest franchises in the world as a burden at all. In an interview for his cover issue of Square Mile, Felton talks about never feeling “a weight to carry”, but that social media has created something that is a whole different world than when he was a child star. Here’s what he says, exactly:
It’s a very common question. How do you shake off the burden of being part of these things? Honestly? I’ve never, ever felt that this is a weight to carry. [But social media] can really affect you. I try to do as best as I can, really. We don’t really have too many examples – bearing in mind that when we did it, 20 years ago, obviously there was no social media. There wasn’t anything at all. To suddenly be in this world now where you can type in God knows what… I banned my mum from Googling me.
With all the fan art and fanfictions that center around Tom Felton’s character Draco, it’s probably a good call to ask his mother not to go looking around the internet for her son. It’s a testament to the franchise and the actors who brought the characters to life that people are still talking about the magic of Harry Potter and creating new content based on it.
In the same interview, Tom Felton talks about how he lucked out more than his Harry Potter costar in the way that he no longer looks like his younger self that fans would instantly recognize. Unlike, say, Emma Watson, a fan may not know they grew up watching Felton on screen as Draco Malfoy from just a glance. This is what the star says in that regard:
I got the best of both worlds. I take the Tube, I take the bus, I walk my dog in the park. I saw Emma the other night – she looks exactly the same as she did ten years ago. It’s almost impossible for her to not be spotted. I get a lot of people whispering, ‘is that whatshisname?’
I’m pretty sure most hardcore Harry Potter fans would know Tom Felton right away, except maybe if he were wearing a pandemic mask. For more casual Harry Potter watchers, though, he may fly under the radar and get away with just a slight double take.
This anonymity may change very soon though, as Tom Felton is taking part in not 1, but 2 Harry Potter related projects, and one has already recently aired. The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is in the works for HBO Max, but there also is a Harry Potter trivia game show that Felton took part in on the most recent episode, along with other Harry Potter cast members and some serious celebrity super fans.
We can expect to see Tom Felton and a ton of other Harry Potter favorites reunite for the anniversary special very soon on New Years Day, and fans are bursting at the seams with the wait. Fans can tune in for the remaining two Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses episodes on TBS and Cartoon Network the next two Sundays at 8pm Eastern.