POTTER FILM IS MAGIC FOR STUDENT CHRIS
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| Chris Rankin helps with the make-up workshop in Dereham |
A good luck note from your mum and a pat on the back from a good mate is what most teenagers expect before entering an exam room.
But when your goodwill messages include a card from an internationally-renowned actress such as Julie Walters, you're into the stuff of dreams.
That unreal feeling is something mild-mannered Chris Rankin is slowly getting used to, having been thrust into the glare of the world's media spotlight after securing a role in this year's surefire hit film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
As Percy Weasley, Chris, of Shipdham, a student at Dereham Sixth Form College, plays a son of award-winning Julie Walters (Mrs Weasley).
The relaxed way in which Chris – who turns 18 next Thursday – chats about such celebrities shows the meteoric jump he has made since he first heard about auditions for the movie last year.
"I have spent a lot of time with Julie Walters. She is very nice and sends me good luck cards for exams and things like that," he said.
Former Young Ones star Rik Mayall (Peeves) is another big name Chris has been rubbing shoulders with during recent months.
"He is great. He is the funniest man I have ever met and it is so hard to keep a straight face when you are working with him."
Despite rubbing shoulders with celebrities, Chris has maintained his links with Dereham Operatic Society Youth Theatre Company, with which he started as a young actor.
On Sunday, he took part in a company workshop, helping youngsters to learn the skills involved in stage make-up, and hopes to audition in December for a forthcoming production of Honk!, a modern take on the Ugly Duckling.
"I have stayed with the youth theatre because I enjoy it," he said. "I love it like it was a second home."
Chris will get his first chance to see the finished Harry Potter movie on Saturday during a cast preview in London.
The worldwide premiere is the following day at the Odeon in Leicester Square – but Chris is still unsure whether he will be at the big launch.
The movie does not go on general release until November 16 – when Chris will be watching it with two close friends in Norwich.
However, the EDP is running a competition to win 300 tickets for a special preview at the Ster Century at the Castle Mall in Norwich on November 10.
Chris says he is "petrified, yet excited" as he prepares to see the film at last and still has no real idea how long he will be featured in the 2½-hour production.
"My personal feeling is that it will be a good movie. People will criticise it for nit-picky things like Dudley's hair. But it will be seen by millions of people in 40 countries," he said.
He admits that the full reality has not sunk in and thinks it will feel "a bit odd" when he sees himself.
Despite his obvious fame and the opportunity for more blockbuster appearances in the future, Chris is eager to remain level-headed.
"I am still Chris and I still go to Dereham Sixth Form and I won't forget that."
Chris is also indebted to the dedication of the youth theatre company.
"They kicked me off and I am so grateful for the confidence I learned from everyone."
The period since he was included in the cast has flown past for Chris and he says he would never have believed last year what was going to happen.
"If someone had told me I was going to get the role I would have said: 'Don't be ridiculous.' The dream has now become a reality."
Article taken from EDP24.