Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage; everette collection
Harry PotterstarMatthew Lewiswould prefer an invisibility cloak over watching his performance in the films.
The actor, 31, starred as the notable character Neville Longbottom in theJ.K. Rowlingseries from 2001 to 2011.
However, Lewis has revealed re-watching the films that made him a star is “painful” for him.
“I find it quite difficult when too much of me starts to come through in a character,” he toldThe New York Times.
Lewis’s portrayal of Neville, he said, hit a little too close to home.
He added, “It’s easier when I can play someone completely different, like a police officer in London or someone who’s wealthy.”
Karwai Tang/WireImage; everette collection
“At times it’s painful how much of me there is in Neville,” the star told the outlet. “When I’m watching, I’m like, ‘That’s not Neville; that’s you.'”
Harry Potterdirector David Yates, responsible for the final four films, also talked about the parallels between Lewis and hisHarry Pottercharacter.
“[Matthew] became more confident, more curious, more present as the films progressed. And more ambitious,” told theTimes.
Matthew Lewis.matthew lewis/instagram
Yates, 57, referenced one scene he specifically wrote for Lewis that wasn’t in the books. In theDeathly Hallows: Part 2sequence, Neville blew up the bridge to Hogwarts to slow down Lord Voldemort’s army. “It captured the charms of Neville and Matthew’s everyman quality,” the director said. “He had a modesty and an honesty that was hard to ignore.”
Despite having discomfort watching the wizardry series, Lewis hasn’t got annoyed at still being referred to as the actor fromHarry Pottera decade after the final film.
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Lewis added, “It opened so many doors for me when I otherwise wouldn’t even have gotten in the room.”
source: people.com
