“They’d replace us with decent actors”: Harry Potter Icon Tom Felton Was Convinced He’d Be Replaced in the Movies Despite Nailing Draco Malfoy’s Role Since Day One

The Harry Potter franchise introduced young children and teens to a world of magic, wizardry, and enchanting spells that left them spellbound. When the movies did exceptionally well, they skyrocketed the careers of the lead cast members as well, including Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy.

The actor has grown exponentially since then. Having done more versatile roles and now diverging to West End theatre, Felton is exploring his range to get the best out of his acting skill that dazzled fans for 12 long years.

Tom Felton’s Fear of Getting Replaced in Harry Potter Franchise

It’s hard to imagine a child actor with blonde hair wreaking havoc in Harry Potter’s world at Hogwarts other than Tom Felton. The British actor ticked every box when it came to playing the evil wizard of Hogwarts who bullied everyone and never left a chance to flaunt how popular his parents are.

When making movies in continuity like Harry Potter, the makers need to be careful of the authenticity of the actors and how they portray the roles. Since the actors were school-going children at the time, it was easy to make them play students at Hogwarts in the earlier movies. However, as they underwent puberty, they tipped the line between kids and adults. This instilled fear in Felton as he thought they would soon be replaced with decent actors. He told The Guardian,

We were going to make two initially. If after the second, the kids still looked young enough, maybe we’d do a third. Then a fourth. It went on like that. We never signed up for 12 years. At some point, I just assumed they’d replace us with decent actors, but they never did.

And thank god for that because the Harry Potter movies are celebrated for having one of the most perfectly cast actors. From Emma Watson to Felton and Rupert Grint, everyone brings a unique perspective to the role they play and makes sure they shine bright on screen just as their characters successfully made a home in fans’ hearts.

Tom Felton found a mentor in Jason Isaacs

Jason Isaacs played the infamous Lucius Malfoy in the franchise, Draco’s father. Felton revealed that it was Isaacs who offered him words of wisdom and treated him with kindness throughout the shooting of the movies. Moreover, whenever some low points struck in Felton’s life, Isaacs made sure to be there for him and give him words of encouragement and help him back up. Felton shared,

He was incredibly supportive and graceful. It was a massively important relationship to me. He never talked to me like a kid, and showed me the way. Jason was a driving force in getting rid of my impostor syndrome. I thought all I did was stand around and look miserable for a long time. He told me to snap out of it. That I was good, but could be much better. To go and work on it.

These aspects remind us that no matter how negative characters look on screen, behind the mask is a dedicated actor who is playing a part in the fictitious universe. Actors make genuine connections on sets, especially when their work keeps them together for over a decade. Felton and Isaacs continue to remain in touch with him referring to Isaacs as dad off-screen too.

The Harry Potter movies are streaming on HBO Max.