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From a couple of articles in a local paper to a splash in the nationals and live children's TV - for Dereham actor Chris Rankin, life has changed thanks to a little Hogwarts' magic.
The phenomenon of Harry Potter is close to the hearts of children and adults around the world.
Norfolk actor Chris Rankin talks about life at Hogwarts, being in the spotlight and his first snog.
Come on, admit it - wouldn't you just love to be a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
For 19-year-old Chris Rankin from Dereham, that's exactly where he spends his time for around seven months of the year.
As most of us just dream of a trip on the Hogwarts Express, morning mail arriving by owl post and the opportunity to eat a handful of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour beans (not the ones that taste like brussels), for Chris it is a reality.
Life has changed a bit since landing the role of the Hogwarts' prefect Percy Weasley.
"It is odd," he said, "but it’s nice when people come up and say ‘are you Percy Weasley’, especially little kids who just sort of look at me with this woooah look on their face."
In The Philosopher's Stone Percy spends most of his time in the background. Whilst a key character he's not at the core of the action.
The Chamber of Secrets
As Chris explained in an interview with the BBC website for Norfolk, things change a bit in the new movie:
In the first film he’s just there – does his job, shows the new pupils to Hogwarts where they need to be and then disappears really.
In the second one he’s there a lot more ‘cause there's the stuff in his house at the Burrow.
In the book, and it half comes across in the film, there’s a stage when you think it could be Percy opening the Chamber of Secrets. So you’re thinking hmmm.
There's a scene where you have a good old ding dong with Malfoy.
It’s when they’re doing the Polyjuice potion bit and Harry and Ron have turned into Crabbe and Goyle who are Draco Malfoy’s henchmen types.
They’re walking down the corridor and Percy’s coming from, well if you read the books he’s coming from having a bit of a romantic session in a classroom with his girlfriend Penelope Clearwater, but they’ve missed that bit out somewhere along the line.
He comes along and says ‘what are you doing down here, you shouldn’t be down here’ and then Draco Malfoy comes along and obviously the Malfoy’s and Weasley’s don’t get on so there’s a bit of friction shall we say.
So you’re telling me Percy's romance in the book has vanished from the film?
Yes, sadly (sighs). Unless you’re a diehard fan where you can see there's a bit where Percy and Penelope are together, but there’s no kissing in darkened dungeons or anything.
You sound disappointed
Yes (dramatic pause), terribly (laughs).
Are you fixed for film three and ongoing?
The contract stuff seems to come two at a time. They’ve started sorting out the contract stuff and it certainly looks like three and four now.
You must be delighted.
Yes, I am. It’s a good firm job to have - it keeps me busy for seven months of the year basically.
I suppose in a while it’s going to get a bit repetitive and probably after four, if there’s going to be five, six and seven, I might have to consider not doing them as I want to have a life really.
Are you getting a bit fed up with all the promo working your doing for the film?
No, I like doing the promo stuff – it’s good fun. It’s gives us a chance to get out and meet people who are crazy, rabid fans rather than just doing the film and hiding in a corner.
Is this film better than the first one?
Definitely. I suppose in the first one it was all about getting to know the characters, just like in the book. Also, as the kids were younger their acting skills weren’t quite up to what the die-hard fans would have hoped. I think in this one they are much more mature, it is good and the script is a lot funnier and scarier.
You said it takes around seven months to make the movie, that’s a lot of time to be spending with a lot of people – do tempers get frayed?
Yeah, they can get a bit fraught towards the end of a two week shoot on one scene. When we’re doing the same two minutes over and over again you just want to scream by the end of it.
We are very patient with each other and Chris the director, who’s sadly not doing film number three, he’s been incredibly patient with everybody. He never has a bad word for anyone, he’ was always really nice.
I think everyone did get on very, very well adults and kids alike. It was a very happy, friendly set to be on.
This is a huge project and you’re there with Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and a host of other household names. It must be quite awesome.
I actually remember one of the first days I was shooting. We were doing a Great Hall scene and they were all there.
There was Richard and Maggie and Zoe Wannamaker and Warwick Davies and everybody.
I remember walking into make-up and thinking woah. But, they’re all really nice and very easy to talk too and we all got on really, really well.
It’s all such an amazing learning experience just being on the same set as these people. I found it quite amazing, I thought you know – they’ll just do their job and we’LL sit there in awe – but I have learnt things from it.
Do you have a favourite scene from The Chamber of Secrets?
I think the duelling club scene was possibly my favourite one to film. It took us more than two weeks to finish the whole shoot on that, including the second unit work where we do all the background shots, long shots and stunt work. It was incredibly good fun, incredibly tiring.
So when you're not running around Hogwarts chased by a three headed dog and you come back to Norfolk, do you find it difficult coming home at the minute or is it a relief?
I like it, I like getting home and just sleeping really, being quiet for a while. It gives me a chance to catch up with friends and have some time to myself, work at UCI selling my popcorn.
Do you find that weird?
Not yet, but it will be when the film comes out. I think it’s going to be weird as they’ve got posters up with my picture on saying meet Percy Weasley. It’s a bit scary, I walked into the office and thought ‘oh my God’.
But do you quite like it too… come on, be egotistical?
Yeah (laughs), I do like it. It’s nice when people come up and say ‘are you Percy Weasley?’, especially little kids who just sort of look at me with this woooah look on their face.
It is quite nice that kids feel happy once they’ve seen me, get my autograph and talk to me.
The look on their face makes me feel a lot better about it all 'cause acting can be very fake sometimes. When you see the kids are getting something out of it at the end it’s quite rewarding I suppose.
As an actor you’re still very young, it’s the first time you’re in seriously bright lights… how are you dealing with it all?
I don’t’ really know yet, it’s all suddenly hit in during the last couple of weeks.
There was an article in the Sun the other week, I was on SMTV Live and I’m on CBBC – it’s suddenly hit in and people are starting to notice who I am.
I dunno, I was saying to my mum the other day it’s a bit scary. From a couple of articles in the EDP to the Sun and live television it’s odd. It is odd.
The other Sunday when I was in Leicester Square for the premier I went down to meet some friends in the morning and see how all the setting up stuff was going and what it was looking like.
Somebody turned round and said ‘there’s Percy Weasley’ and then suddenly 300 people went whoosh and I went ‘help’. I was shoved up against a Häagen-Daz shop and that’s odd. I’m not used to that, but it’s alright.
Who do you turn do if it’s all a bit weird. Is it mum? What does she say?
She says don’t be stupid it’s good fun (laughs). Mum is proud especially, she gets very excited about it.
Do you still feel you’ve got your feet pretty firmly placed? You're not going to get all lovey and in need of a good slap?
I hope not (laughs). I’m pretty sure I’m working on level Earth at the moment and I think working at UCI helps with that. It’s mundane stuff – I wash up, I clean the floors, I clear up sick after small children. It’s kinda handy and they treat me like a normal person.
Come December we dispel the magic of Hogwarts and create the magic of panto at Norwich’s Theatre Royal. That’s going to be a bit of a jump isn’t it?
It’ll be tiring, but fun. I’ve never done panto before. It’s Jack and the Beanstalk and I’m playing the King’s valet, who presumably because he’s the King’s valet he’s a good guy.
The baddy then comes along and hypnotises him and turns him into a nasty guy which could be incredibly good fun. I’ve always wanted to play a bad guy.
In the run up to all of this, it was the Dereham Operatics?
Yeah, I joined Dereham Operatic Society Youth Theatre Company and Northgate High School at the same time in 1995 so I’ve always been doing two musicals a year and play with them until last year when I left.
I suppose Dereham is well renowned for it’s drama and Northgate is well known throughout Europe for it quality.
What happens next for you?
I don’t know. My agent says the next stage is theatre school, but it’s catch 22 really. You can’t get jobs in decent stage shows or theatre companies unless you’ve had proper classical training.
They won’t take for training unless you can give 100% of your time for three years and I can’t do that at the moment as I’m contracted for whatever Warner Brothers want me to do with Harry Potter for however long it takes.
If anything else comes along in the meantime, all the better.
What would you like to do next?
I’d like to do some stage work, proper stage work, I don’t count panto. I’d like to do a bit of classical theatre. Shakespear, Ibsen, Checkhov – that kind of thing, a bit of comedy and professional musical stuff.
I’d like to do some more films, but normal –not quite so huge. Something British and low budget would be nice. I don’t know what the attraction is, I just like it.
Finally Chris, what do you like about living in Norfolk?
I like it as it’s quiet, there’s not much to do but it’s quiet, it’s nice, secluded. When we’re filming I go down and spend five days in a hotel in London, it’s very loud and noisy.
It’s nice just to come home, have a cup of tea and put your feet up. It’s just a nice place really.
Born: 1983
Starsign: Scorpio
Hobbies: Singing, action sports, bad piano playing
1st snog: Tamar Upton, I was 12
Top scoff: Italian
Fave place: New Zealand
TV Show: Graham Norton
Film: Hedwig and The Angry Inch
