Bonnie Wright Interview
Half-Blood Prince Set
February 2008
Melissa Anelli / transcribed by Sarah Hatter

Listen to the whole interview here!

Q: So you get to have some romantic scenes, or a romantic scene...

Bonnie Wright (BW): Mm-hm.

Q: ...this time around.

BW: Yeah.

Q: Can you talk about that?

BW: Yeah, there's- well, I don't know- well, there's two, I guess. The second one's obviously much more romantic in how it's um, it comes along. Let's see, first there's Dean Thomas, then there's Harry. And um, yeah. It kind of like- it's changed the film quite a lot for me. There's more in it for me, like in what she gets to do. So it's been really good. I enjoyed it.


Q: How was it shooting the scene with your character and Harry's character together?

BW: Yeah, it was quite, it was quite- obviously quite weird. I guess after you've known someone for quite a long time, it's quite a weird thing to get to do. But um, no, it was fine. It wasn't too bad. It wasn't- it was better than I expected.

Q: Yeah. 'Cause Dan said it's sort of strange when you- he started working with you, I guess you were ten (BW: Mm-hm.) and he was- I forget- twelve (BW: Yeah.) and now you're both young adults (BW: Yeah.) so...

Q: Were you excited about the outcome in Book Seven?

BW: Yeah, I really enjoyed kind of what happened (Q: Mm-hm.) you know, the kind of the final happy ending that happens, well so to speak, and I think it's quite- well, obviously there's that kind of a large part of the time in which they spend apart, so there's that kind of- I thought also while I was reading it, you know, maybe actually it was just kind of a short thing and it won't ever go back to how it was. (Q: Yeah.) So I was happy when it did, I think.

TLC: Ginny- as you said there's a lot more in it for you. It seems, even more than the romance you're doing a lot more. For instance, in the battle we see you with Harry. I mean, Ginny's becoming quite an integral part of the storyline. (BW: Mm-hm.) How's that changing for you as you play her?

BW: Yeah, like it's become, it's definitely in this- while shooting this one there's kind of been a lot more for me to kind of- I guess there's been much more of a character to dig kind of myself into, and it's been more- there's been more scenes that build up and moments, for instance with the relationship with Harry. They're kind of built up and make more special for the character. So I think it has been really- I think her development of character's definitely been good for me. And I think it will- I think it will read- because I don't think she's ever really been able to have that much, I don't think, in the films. I mean, there was more development in the last one and obviously there was her part in the second one. But I think it will definitely, I think, come across to the audience that's she's much more developed.

TLC: What do you think are her most important attributes?

BW: Well, I think considering that obviously she's known Harry since she was really young, I think she understands from a kind of friendly kind of side and almost like he's within the family. So she obviously understands what he goes through and she's not always thinking about, you know, if he's The Chosen One or if he's, you know, any- what his motives are. So I think he just kind of loves him for being who he is rather than almost kind of like a family way in which, you know, Mrs. Weasley does or Ron does.

TLC: Do you think when they get together at this point she feels that it's kind of a true love, lifelong thing?

BW: I don't think she's the kind of person who kind of holds onto something like, "Oh my God, something's going to happen," so much of, and kind of builds anything up in her head. I think it's more she just waits and sees. And she's quite patient in that, you know, for instance we know she's obviously liked Harry since she was almost quite young. And she's being patient and waiting, or kind of holding off. And she's never really been that bothered. So I don't think when, in this first relationship, she ever thinks it's something, as we know, develops into the seventh.

Q: What for you has been the most exciting thing to film so far, or what are you looking forward to filming that you haven't filmed?

BW: I really enjoyed- well, so far, I've enjoyed the- I really liked kind of all the scenes at the Weasley house, The Burrow. 'Cause that was really fun and kind of humorous to film. And that was a really interesting scene we did out in the reeds around the Weasley house at night. And that was really exciting because it was- it had a lot of action in it, but it wasn't really action-packed in a sense of magic and different things. It was much more serious and quite kind of really scary, obviously, in the middle of the night being surrounded by people we can't actually see. But I am really looking forward to it, I think also the- we've got, um, Slughorn's Christmas party kind of thing, so that will be fun to dress up. And I don't know, it feels like we've shot loads of things, but also there's still loads to come.


Q: As you said earlier, your character has liked Harry ever since, you know, she was a little girl. So what do you think now brings him around and makes him see you in a different light?

BW: Well, obviously, I think it comes quite to a surprise to him that he starts to see her in a different light. And obviously he's kind of thinking, "Oh, wait a minute, I can't do this because, you know, she's the little sister of my best friend." So there's that kind of weird issue of kind of passing that. But um, I don't know, I guess she- I think, in order for him to recognize her she's obviously come a lot more out of her shell. She's not that shy person that we saw in the- you know, in Book One and Two. So I think just stepping out has kind of obviously made him realize someone who he just always saw just around the house is just like a sisterly thing.

Q: And how does she handle it at first when she realizes that Harry does have feelings for her?

BW: Yeah, I think at first she just almost casts it off as just being kind of just generally being nice and friendly and being how he always has been. But I think she does start to realize and I think she starts- I think it kind of also rekindles kind of things she likes in him as well. 'Cause I think for a time she has probably tried to forget about him (Q: Right) in a sense.

TLC: You also play Quidditch. (BW: Mm-hm.) What happens for you in that? Something with Cho, in that scene, for you?

BW: No, it's not in- well, they haven't portrayed it in the film, but yeah, she likes to play her Quidditch. I think she's also- I think we saw in the fifth one that she's quite- she wants to get out there. She kind of quite more outgoing and more kind of wants to be part of the action. So I think you get to see quite a lot of that in Quidditch, and she is really- she is meant to be, you know, really good and almost in her element when she's playing. So I think it's been fun so far to do.

TLC: And quite powerful. She pretty much broke the Ministry (BW: Yeah!) in the last movie.


BW: So yeah. (laughs) We see that in the Quidditch playing.

TLC: Cool.

Q: Have you shot those scenes?

BW: Yeah, we've done some of the scenes and got some more to do. I've done just some of the flying but not kind of the stuff on the ground in the Quidditch pitch and stuff.


Q: How was that for you?

BW: Yeah, it was fun. I never really realized how much they really- kind of how actually quite powerful the machines that you go up on how much they spin you around. It's quite like, "Woah!" (laughs) It's such a weird idea. You're just standing up there. You're like, "I'm sitting on a broom, and I'm meant to be flying." It's pretty weird. But yeah.

Q: Was it sore? Ron- uh, Rupert was complaining about being- (BW: Yeah, it's quite sore.) how painful it was.


BW: Because you don't really realize actually how much- like I say, it throws you around. Like I did one when I was spinning completely kind of horizontally three hundred and sixty degrees, and I was like, "Ugh! This hurts!" But yeah. 'Cause we're all obviously strapped in, but it's still quite a weird experience.

Q: With Book Seven coming up, what are you most looking forward to filming in that movie, and how do you feel about it being the last film in the series, everything coming to a close?


BW: Um, well, I guess it will be interesting to see how in the seventh one how they're doing kind of the Epilogue and those parts of the scene. And I think- I don't know, I think there's quite- there's obviously that moment in the seventh one where he's at the house, and that's quite- and I think it's over birthday or Christmas when they exchange gifts or something. It depends on how much they- I think there's just so much in the seventh one it'd be interesting to see how they portray it in the film and the script.

TLC: There's a little bit of a steamy moment with Harry in the seventh one as well.

BW: Yeah. Yeah, I know. I don't know. I wonder how they'll portray that idea.

Q: When the Weasleys all film together do you guys feel like a family? Is there sort of like a family atmosphere that occurs?

BW: Yeah, I think so. I think 'cause there's obviously, it's a big family, (Q: Mm-hm.) so when we're all gathered together it's, you know, when we did the- we're doing other scenes in the Weasley house and there is that- 'cause also the sets are amazing. It's all kind of really higgledy-piggledy (Q: Yeah.) and it's all colorful and it's kind of quite- very different from a lot of the other, much darker sets. All kind of a really kind of quite bare Hogwarts, obviously. And it's just fun because- I know I really- Julie Walters who plays Mrs. Weasley, she's so much fun to be with, and so is Mark really. And so I think- and they've always- I've always known that before I do- I laugh loads before I do the scene. And I would never have a dull day at the Weasley house, so it's always fun.

Q: With your character, she's very strong and intelligent (BW: Mm-hm.) and there's obviously some similarities between her and you, just sitting here talking to you. What if you were to spend a day with your character. What do you think you would do, where do you think you would go, just hanging out?

BW: We'd just hang out. But really find out more about her. Because I really think- I think there's a sense that obviously you see her I think before in the films that we've seen so far, we haven't really seen a lot of kind of I think her general interests, kind of what she likes to do and just generally. 'Cause obviously you see her when she's at school and she's talking to everyone. But you never really find out much about kind of what's she's interested in or what she wants to do when she's when she ol- you know there's some general kind of things that you find out about a friend, kind of what they want to do- and they'll probably guide you more and in probably what kind of, if you knew her, almost her ambitions and all different things. So I'd probably talk about that.

TLC: Do you want to continue acting after Harry?


BW: Yeah! Definitely. I really enjoyed it, and I'd never done it before we started on the films. And I definitely have really enjoyed it. But I never knew anything about the film industry at all, what it involved. There's so much, so many things, you know, there's just kind of all the things that go behind the sets and all the costumes. You just don't realize- and that's really interesting to me, so, as well.

Q: What sort of films do you think you might like to do afterwards?

BW: Well, I guess after playing obviously the same character for quite a while I'm quite interested in playing, you know, obviously really different characters. 'Cause obviously after playing someone you're quite, you know, quite stuck with that same character so it would be really interesting to do ones that are drastically different or just kind of ones that quite- 'cause I'm quite interested in characters where you almost have to kind of- not research into them but kind of they're so unlike yourself that you kind of almost have to look into them and what goes on in their mind almost.

Q: What kind of films do you yourself actually like to go to the theater and watch?

BW: I like loads of films. I'm not really into kind of kind of act- well, I am, I do like action, but not like thriller ones and all those 'cause I quite like more independent films and not- I mean, I do obviously, there's such a- I guess there it is very much a blockbuster film, Harry Potter, but I think it does have a kind of aspects of quite much more individual films in the way- I think definitely the last one, how David Yates did it was much more kind of more low-key and more character- I like things with more character development and things.

Q: What was your favorite of 2007?


BW: Jeez, what was my favorite? Um, I'm trying to think- I can't remember- I can't work out if they were actually released in 2008 but I've seen ones that around Christmas- I don't know it. I really liked- actually, I think "There Will Be Blood" is this year, but I really enjoyed that. It was very long but it was very good. (laughs)

TLC: What's been the best piece of acting advice anyone's ever given you?

BW: Well, I think a lot of the time in acting you can- there's so much going on in your mind, like thinking process of what you're doing, and it's obviously like you're never really thinking about what you're doing kind of day-to-day what you're feeling. You just feel it. So it's always like that sense of, you know, you don't think being angry, you feel being angry. So in a sense that almost- those two opposites, don't think, but kind of feel what you're thinking.

TLC: Who told you?

BW: I don't know, quite a lot of people have told me that. Different people. And David Yates has said often and quite a lot.

TLC: David Yates, has he- what has he taught you? What have you learned by working under him?

BW: I definitely think he's kind of opened up the idea of very much kind of actor's director who's really into knowing your ideas behind your character. Because obviously he's thinking about the whole picture and every other character. But we're almost thinking just kind of about ourselves, about our own character. So I guess just having the idea that you can give as much to the-you can give....

**Bonnie's interrupted, and Melissa asks the question again**

TLC: What has David Yates taught you about acting?

BW: Well, generally, as he's a really kind of actor kind of director and a person who really likes to build relationships with you and kind of know what you think about your character. So it's definitely given me the idea that you can give back what you think to the film. When obviously, playing it since I was nine, you kind of know what you feel you should be doing in that scene or how you should be, you know, acting, so just giving your own thoughts and opinions. Definitely something's that kind of- now I'm kind of able to do before





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