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Last week, Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs appeared on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Dinner's on Me podcast, where he touched upon a wide range of topics. But the highlight of this episode is when the actor discussed the iconic role of Lucius Malfoy in the Wizarding World franchise. As the name suggests, Isaacs played Harry's Hogwarts rival Draco Malfoy's father.
There, Isaacs surprised host Jesse Tyler Ferguson by revealing that despite being giant blockbuster movies, the filmmakers allowed him to improvise certain scenes. After revealing how surprised he was, the actor said he had been improvising since his first day on the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets set. The actor's exact quote was
"The thing that was very surprising is how much leeway we had to improvise and change things. Jo [J.K. Rowling] recognized they were films and not books, and it's a different medium. She wasn't on set. I didn't meet her for years...and on my very first day, I was improvising lines. My very first shot was walking out of Dumbledore's office from the end of Chamber of Secrets, and where he just dismissed me and I leave and I went, 'I don't know, would this guy leave without saying something?'"
Jason Isaacs then went on to recall the said improvised scene:
"Harry Potter's there, [and Lucius] is a very proud, arrogant man. Surely, he'd say something trying to get status back in, and so we'll try something. And I made up a line, and Daniel made up a line back. And I thought, 'We're allowed to make s--- up in Harry Potter.'"
For those who don't know, the improvised scene plays out in the last act of the second movie, Chamber of Secrets, where Lucius is told about Voldemort being responsible for the attack on the Muggle-born students. Upon learning that Harry thwarted Voldemort's attacks, Lucius remarks, "Let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day." To this, Harry responds, "Don't worry. I will be."
It seems actors in the Harry Potter franchise had the freedom to improvise:
While it may feel that improvisation is the standard in movies, people need to realize that there is a huge difference between a low-budget independent production and a big-budget franchise movie like the Potter franchise. The space for improvisation is very little in blockbuster productions. Thus, it is surprising that actors are given the choice to add something to their characters in these movies.
It is worth noting that Jason Isaacs is still impressed by his Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe's improvisation skills:
"I always knew he was smart. I thought he would, and I still think, he'll end up being a director as well as an actor. He was always so grounded and so mature and humble, and he's continued to be ambitious, really ambitious, and take risks as well. He's like, I've been famous. I've been rich. I've done all those things. So now I can do interesting independent films."
While Radcliffe hasn't appeared in a blockbuster movie since the Potter movies, he has opted to do independent movies. However, Daniel Radcliffe hasn't directed a feature as of now. He is active in live theater and the independent scene.
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