The fantasy drama led by Daniel Radcliff, Harry Potter was no less than a phenomenon. The franchise not only turned reputed author J.K. Rowling into a billionaire but also constructed the Hollywood careers of actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Felton.
Not many people know that during the filming of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, the first installment of the Harry Potter series in London, the Australian High Commission was swarmed with twenty dwarves with almost 100 pizzas.
When The Australian High Commission Was Overrun By Twenty Dwarves With 100 Pizzas During The Wrap Of Harry Potter Part 1
During the initial months of the filming of the first installment of the Harry Potter franchise in the early 2000s, the creative heads had a tough time looking for the perfect location for the shoot. The production team searched multiple cathedrals and castles in and around the U.K. in the quest for the perfect setting for the first Harry Potter project.
Director Chris Columbus rented the Australian High Commission for the location of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. According to a report by Entertainment Weekly, a commission spokesperson had mentioned that around twenty kids used to visit the government building, they were dressed as dwarves and were not even allowed to eat anything post their makeup. The spokesperson said-
“Twenty dwarves came in each morning. It took forever to put on the makeup and they couldn’t eat once it was on. When shooting wrapped, they ordered, like, 100 pizzas for everyone.”
The famous Gloucester Cathedral had donated its vaulted cloisters for Hogwarts’ hallways. Similarly, the Norman Cathedral located at Durham went on to become the transfiguration classroom of Professor McGonagall and the interiors of one of the oldest infrastructures of U.K. Alnwick Castle was selected as a part of the wizarding school and Quidditch pitch.
Chris Columbus On Casting Daniel Radcliffe As Harry Potter And Tom Felton As Draco Malfoy
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, director Chris Columbus spoke about Harry Potter And The Philosopher Stone, convincing Daniel Radcliffe’s parents and Tom Felton. The reputed filmmaker recalled
“I was up late one night in London watching BBC, and there was a miniseries of David Copperfield. There was a young Dan Radcliffe in it, for about two or three scenes. But I thought, ‘That’s Harry Potter,’”
Impressed by the screen presence of Daniel Radcliffe, Chris Columbus had requested the casting director for a meeting with the young actor’s parents. To which the casting director had replied
“‘You’re never going to get him. His parents are in the industry. They have no desire for him to do this. Just forget about him.’”
He took the matter into his own hands and with the help of producer David Heyman, he was able to convince the little actor’s parents. He said-
“In David’s usual charming way, he was able to convince them to come in for a meeting. That was sort of the end of it,”
While talking about the cast of Harry Potter, Columbus mentioned Tom Felton and how he was impressed by his audition. He said-
“Tom was a great actor as well, so we thought, let’s just dye Tom’s hair, give him a scar, give him the glasses, and l let’s see. He did a great Harry Potter reading. The problem is you can really kind of tell when an 11- or 12-year-old kid’s hair is dyed. He was so good at Malfoy. I just couldn’t pass that up. I knew Tom had to play Malfoy.”
Daniel Radcliffe will always be known as someone who immortalized the character of the boy with a scar and despite being a negative character at the start of the franchise chapters, Tom Felton’s transformation is still one of the most loved parts of the series.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at the Australian High Commission during Harry Potter filming?
While filming Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, director Chris Columbus rented London’s Australian High Commission to stand in for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Each morning around twenty little-people performers arrived in costume as the bank’s goblins, turning the diplomatic building into a busy production set for one of the franchise’s most memorable locations.
Why did the performers order 100 pizzas?
According to a High Commission spokesperson, the goblin performers could not eat once their detailed makeup was applied, and the elaborate makeup took a very long time to put on. So when shooting finally wrapped, they celebrated by ordering around one hundred pizzas for everyone, a hearty payoff after long days of filming unable to grab a bite.
What other real locations doubled as Hogwarts settings?
Beyond the Australian High Commission, Columbus and his team scouted many UK sites, including cathedrals and castles, to bring the wizarding world to life. Locations such as Gloucester Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and Alnwick Castle were used for various Hogwarts scenes, showing the logistical effort behind staging the first film’s richly detailed magical environments.
