Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard

Tom Felton struggles with the pressures of managing the celebrity status that he attains by playing Draco Malfoy in the eight Harry Potter films. As his fame grows, Felton has to navigate uncomfortable and stressful situations. Reflecting on the increasingly overwhelming premieres and press junkets, Felton discovers that “being in a crowd of people who want to touch part of your clothing can be a discombobulating experience” (114). This dynamic highlights the fact that the adoration of fans, even if it is well intended, can be overwhelming and even terrifying to receive. This issue is further explored in the woman who stalks Felton, seeming to know his every movement. When she waits outside an event for four hours to give Felton a card expressing her condolences for his dog’s death, Felton feels a confusing mixture of gratitude and unease from this gesture and from her obvious devotion.

The challenges of fame increase as the young actor becomes a teenager, often taking the form of bullying from his peers in school; Felton is embarrassed to be branded “the Harry Potter wanker” or “Broomstick Prick” (126), and he therefore acts out at school by talking back to teachers, skipping classes, listening to music in class, and talking to his friends in an attempt to “offset [his] other life with a bit of normality” (127).