Number 5

Now that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is upon and I eagerly await my script of it to devour, I am taking a look back at which Harry Potter Character I thought it would be fun to see Damian playing.

For those who have not read all the books, this blog contains spoilers for the Harry Potter series.

You may have gathered from Damianista’s 24/7 blog that we give some serious thought to what roles we think Damian would be suited to, or give free reign to our imaginations and come up with roles we would really like to see him play.

If there is any way to link Damian (no matter how small) we’ll do that too. For example this thought was inspired by the announcement of the Harry Potter play. If you happen to read fan fiction you will find many which have Albus (Harry’s middle child) and Scorpius Malfoy (Narcissa Malfoy’s grandson) as best friends, a way of trying to learn from the past and move forward given the differences between the Weasley/Potter clans and the Malfoys. Damian’s lovely wife, Helen McCrory, has already been in the Harry Potter films as Narcissa.

Our enthusiastic chat about the Harry Potter play led to a discussion on which character we think Damian would be best suited to play. Damianista suggested that Damian could play the adult Ron Weasley, Harry’s best friend. I would be happy enough with that as I imagine Damian being able to physically assert himself as the gangly adult Ron who still defers to Hermione and makes jokes about his own deficiencies, but who is remarkably more mature and comfortable with himself than the teenage Ron ever was. However, I had another member of the original Weasley seven in mind for Damian.

Have you ever watched interviews with Damian, or watched him hosting ‘Have I got News for you?’ The man is funny and there is an element of mischief sparkling behind the eyes as well. We also know from his various roles that Damian is extremely versatile when it comes to dealing with themes of grief, loss and recovery (or in Brody’s case lack of it) and being clearly able to express it.

So, which mischievous member of the Weasley family will always smile less than he ever did before even if he has recovered sufficiently enough? I am of course talking about George Weasley.

There were many cruel deaths in the Harry Potter Series, but separating Gred and Forge (I still say they were wearing the wrong jumpers!) seems especially cruel. The twins were introduced to us in Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorcerer’s Stone) playing a prank on their mother about who is who and she can’t tell. If she can’t tell then no one else stands a chance…though strangely Harry never seemed to have an issue…

George Weasley suddenly finds himself without the one person he was literally tied to from the moment he was born. He suddenly has to get used to the fact he will have to finish his own sentences and that he could not look at his best friend ever again and see a grin spread across his face, identical to the one spreading across his own, because no one could ever know what George is thinking the way Fred would instantaneously know. The joke they must have shared on numerous occasions about their birthday probably lost a lot of humour because George doesn’t have that one person to share it with. Fred and George Weasley were born on 1 April, a fitting date for the two pranksters and, yet, their mother wasn’t laughing as their births were directly preceded by the murder of her twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett. Harry would later receive Fabian Prewett’s watch as his 17th birthday (Wizard coming of age) present from Molly and Arthur.

I have no problem imagining Damian as a more reserved, but still mischievous George Weasley. The centre of attention making everyone else laugh, but then one moment where he’s not in the room as his eyes are focused on someone no one else sees and his face is sad because he can’t help but be missing the one person who isn’t there. His son is named after his uncle Fred so clearly George is determined Fred is going to live on. I can easily imagine George as the cool father/uncle, but so too can I easily imagine him being serious when it is needed.

We know that the play centres around adult Harry and his son Albus. It will tell of Harry’s struggle of being a busy Ministry of Magic employee and father of three and Albus struggling with his family legacy. I suspect that his full name Albus Severus Potter puts a weight on his shoulders too. There was (and is) a lot of negativity surrounding his name in Harry Potter fandom, particularly his middle name. I love it and I am glad JK Rowling gave him that name despite the negativity it has attracted. I hope that will be touched upon in the play and uncle George’s input in helping Albus would be most welcome. How did George feel when he heard what middle name Harry’s second son was to receive? After all Severus Snape did curse off George’s ear (we later see it was an accident) and wasn’t the nicest of people throughout the 7 books. Fred and George took risks and lived life to the full. George appeared to live by the mantra ‘life is too short’ before Fred’s death so after it I only see that being reinforced. Therefore I do not see George putting a burden on Albus’ shoulders, but rather putting his own feelings on the issue (whatever they may be) to the side and helping his nephew. A fifteen year old Harry declared that “he would never forgive Snape”. Adult Harry clearly has.

George Weasley now has considerable emotional baggage from his past. I’m sure that for the most part, George no longer allows it to weigh him down or hold him back 99% of the time. For that 1% of the time, there is Damian Lewis. JaniaJania sums up beautifully in her blog about the new Billions clip why Damian is made for roles such as these. It is the stage actor in him. He allows his face and body to do all the work for him, keeping us all captivated.

Redhead number 5, come in please.

Are there any roles you would love to see Damian play? Let us know.