Throughout the Harry Potter film series, fans got to see actors like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson grow up in front of their very eyes, through good times and bad times. Much like the characters they portrayed in the fantasy series, the cast themselves also suffered through tough times, many of which might change your opinions of the films forever.
Despite the difficulties many child stars go through, Radcliffe and Watson managed to mostly stay out of trouble and stay focused on their careers, but that isn’t to say other cast members suffered through rough personal patches, some of which cost them their jobs.
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Despite all the difficulties the cast might have gone through, you’d hardly notice from watching the films, as they’ve gone on to earn nearly $8 billion worldwide and spawning spin-off films and plays the expand upon the universe we all grew to love.
Scroll down to see some of the behind-the-scenes scandals that would even make Voldemort blush, originally compiled by Good Housekeeping.
A Taste for Butterbeer
Daniel Radcliffe might have only been 11 when filming for the first film began, but he eventually reached the legal drinking age in England, so it came as no surprise he’d regularly spend his nights drinking.
“I have a very addictive personality. It was a problem,” Radcliffe revealed to Heat magazine. “People with problems like that are very adept at hiding it. It was bad. I don’t want to go into details, but I drank a lot and it was daily — I mean nightly.
“I can honestly say I never drank at work on Harry Potter. I went into work still drunk, but I never drank at work. I can point to many scenes where I’m just gone. Dead behind the eyes.”
Imbibing On Gillyweed
Enjoying alcohol is one thing, but smoking weed is another.
Both Radcliffe and co-star Rupert Grint were accused of smoking weed on multiple occasions in 2009, which was an illegal substance, no matter what the stars’ ages.
A representative for Radcliffe explained, “Daniel does smoke the occasional roll-up cigarette, but he was not doing anything more than this.”
Rupert’s representative made a similar statement, declaring, “This is categorically NOT Rupert Grint. It is an impersonator/lookalike.”
Even co-star Tom Felton, who plays a villain in the series, came to their aid, saying, “Obviously Daniel and Emma Watson are under more pressure to keep a squeaky-clean image. When the media fabricates stories I don’t think it’s really fair on those poor guys.”
He added, “Those guys couldn’t be more professional, especially Daniel, not only with the acting part but dealing with the day-to-day stuff. I look up to him.”
Don’t Call Him A Horcrux
Radcliffe might have denied some of his more scandalous behaviors, but others, he had a harder time saying no to. Most notably, many female fans developed an affinity for Radcliffe, leading to the actor getting in some personal time with fans.
“I was always very nervous about the groupie thing,” Daniel told The Mirror. “I like to like somebody before I sleep with them. You know you’re going to have to talk to them afterwards, even if it is a one-night stand.”
He added, “I have…I mean, that has happened, but generally speaking I’ve known the person. Apart from a few times when I was drinking. Besides, I like having a girlfriend. I have a crazy life…somebody will tell me we’re going to an airport and I know vaguely what we’re doing but I have no idea when so I take it a day at a time.”
Naughty Goblin
Although Radcliffe clearly only engaged in romantic endeavors with those who were interested in him, the same can’t be said of everyone who appeared in the film.
Nicholas Read, who played a goblin in the first film, had some run-ins with the law due to his sexual exploits.
In 2010, he was found guilty of performing a sex act under a juggler’s hat on a train and was ordered to complete a sex offender course. He avoided jail time as his short stature made the judge consider him “vulnerable” were he to spend time with the general population.
Additionally, in 2011 he ran into trouble once again for indecently exposing himself to a teenager on the train.
Changing Schools
The young actors might not have known what they were in for when initially joining the series, not quite understanding how many years of their lives they’d dedicate to the films. Watson considered quitting the franchise halfway through its
Watson described the filming schedule as being “horrible” and it was an “agonizing” decision to continue filming, according to a 2010 interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“I have such a structure when I’m working on Potter. I get told what time I get picked up,” Watson confessed. “I get told what time I can eat, when I have time to go to the bathroom. Every single second of my day is not in my power.
She added, “I hate to sound whiny but it’s horrible. This has definitely been the most intense, grueling period of film-making I’ve ever done.”
Extracurricular Activities
The young cast weren’t the only ones involved in some scandalous activity, as some of the film’s professors were just as guilty of creating awkward situations.
Emma Thompson played Professor Trelawney in three films, Kenneth Branagh played Professor Gilderoy in the second film, and Helena Bonham Carter played Bellatrix Lestrange throughout the entire franchise.
What makes all of these actors’ involvement awkward is that Thompson and Branagh were married for six years beginning in 1989, but ended their marriage when Branagh had an affair with none other than Helena Bonham Carter. Branagh and Carter went on to have a relationship for five years.
Thompson said of the situation in 2013 that it was all “blood under the bridge” and also, “You can’t hold on to anything like that. It’s pointless. I haven’t got the energy for it. Helena and I made our peace years and years ago.”
Magic Potions
Jamie Waylett played one of Draco Malfoy’s bullying lackeys in the films, up until 2009, when he was arrested by police for drug charges.
The police allegedly found eight bags of cannabis in his car in addition to finding more cannabis plants in his family home.
He pleaded guilty to growing 10 cannabis plants and production of the class B drug, which resulted in him having to serve 120 hours of community service.
Sadly, this wasn’t his only trouble with the law, as in 2011, he was found guilty of violent disorder in relation to the London riots, according to the BBC.
There was photographic evidence of the actor “holding a petrol bomb” and “swigging from a stolen bottle of champagne,” which resulted in a two-year sentence for violent disorder and 12 months for handling stolen goods.
Get A Loan From Gringotts
There has been sex, violence, drugs, and alcohol involved in many of these scandals, but lastly, and possibly one of the more surprising scandals was a financial one.
Devon Murray, who played student Seamus Finnigan in all eight films, was forced to pay his former manager $270,000 due to contract disputes.
The former manager, Neil Brooks, claimed Murray had been “a joy to work wit” but also asserted that Murray “tried to dodge out of his obligations under the contract in an unlawful manner” after the first four films, resulting in the massive commissions’ fee.
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Photo Credit: Alexandro Bolaños Escamilla
