Looking back on his career, Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) finds it “painful” to watch himself in the early Harry Potter films.
Harry Potter fans know him as Neville Longbottom, the awkward, goofy, brave Hogwarts student who never backed down even when he was afraid. But looking back, actor Matthew Lewis has some mixed feelings about his performance.
Speaking to The New York Times, Lewis revealed that it can be difficult to watch himself in the Harry Potter movies. “At times it’s painful how much of me there is in Neville. When I’m watching, I’m like, ‘That’s not Neville; that’s you.’”
And to that, all the Potterheads say: what’s wrong with being like Neville? He did, after all, prove to be quite heroic when he used Godric Gryffindor’s and destroyed the final Horcrux by cutting off Nagini’s head in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that Neville Longbottom is the true hero of Harry Potter, or at least one of them.
In the days since playing Neville, Lewis has kept himself busy with roles in stuff like All Creatures Great and Small on PBS. He plays a dashing suitor, which is a hop, skip, and jump away from Neville. I think the transition Lewis has gone through is still something that Potterheads can’t seem to wrap their heads around, but hey, we ain’t complaining either!
The association with Harry Potter will likely follow Lewis for a long time to come, but he’s more than grateful for the opportunities it has provided him.
"If there’s something people remember you by, there are worse things than the Harry Potter franchise. It opened so many doors for me when I otherwise wouldn’t even have gotten in the room."
And he’s not the only Harry Potter alum inundated with career opportunities! Rupert Grint has been starring in Apple TV+’s Servant, Daniel Radcliffe is executive producing now, Tom Felton starred in The Flash, and Emma Watson…well she’s the Emma Watson, so no further explanation needed there.
Suffice to say, Harry Potter cast members are doing just fine, and we couldn’t be more proud of them!
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h/t Independent