Warwick Davis Interview
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He is one of the few actors that have starred in every single Harry Potter movie so far, apart from Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
He keeps a low profile, often is hidden under a big pile of make-up and yet it is his scenes that make the audience smile.
We caught up with actor Warwick Davis who plays Charms teacher Professor Flitwick in London to find out whether he will feature in the seventh Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", too.
Why on top of that he wants to start his own business selling ties, why he still believes in Santa Clause and why Daniel Radcliffe and Co are better actors to work with than some of the others he has worked with over the years - that and much more Warwick Davis tells us in this exclusive interview by Harry Potter Xperts:
You started your career in 1981 with Star Wars. Since then there has been a great progress concerning special effects. How did you experience that?
Yeah, technology has changed a lot since I started acting. What’s interesting now is that film-makers have all these tools at their disposal but what they do is they don’t just use one. They use a variety of techniques to achieve the same thing. It’s similar to the way a magician will do magic. They won’t use one method in a trick, they’ll use several different types of magic so the audience is kept guessing. Just as you think you figured it out they’re using a different technique.
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Warwick Davis in "Prince Caspian"
If I am looking at a mouse on a table I can now be a lot freer in the way that I look at it, the way I interact with it than I used to be. There’s no restrictions on me because in the computer they can manipulate even my hand to that extent that I can look like I am actually holding the character whereas in the past I had to very accurately place my hand and pick up a character because otherwise they just couldn’t make it work. It allows a bit more freedom now.
Do you always agree with what they do?
Yeah, most of the time it looks great, doesn’t it? I don’t think the way to carry on though is to actually start replacing actors with computer-generated versions of themselves however realistic that looks. I just don’t think as an audience you buy it so much. All these technologies have a place, but when they start to get over you, the audience can see straight through it.
Tell me, is it difficult to work with young actors?
People ask this quite a lot. I grew up as an actor from 11 years old so I’ve been in the situation that they are, being around film sets, growing up with this amazing lifestyle.
Let’s talk about Daniel Radcliffe and co on Harry Potter first of all. They’re some of the most professional actors you could want to work with. As a youngster you want to do your best job. You want to make your parents proud of you, you want to make the people that employ you proud of you. So they always knew their lines, they always were attentive, they always were there on time.
But as you grow up and become an actor you tend to become a bit more complacent. Like “They can wait for me…”. Therefore you’re less professional. So I think they were fantastic, I mean really really great. They all have got a great sense of humour, are very level-headed about everything and the same I would love to apply to the Pevensie children on Narnia. They were exactly the same. Again, enthusiastic, motivated, love what they do, just every bit as professional. And it puts other actors I’ve worked with to shame who just go like “Oh I won’t say that word, I don’t wanna do this, I don’t wanna wear that.” Just get on with it…
You are one of the most experienced actors in "Prince Caspian", did you give the younger actors any advice?
They didn’t seem to need any! They had done "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", they knew everyone, they seemed very well settled in into all of that. It was pretty amazing to watch.
What advice can you give to aspiring actors in general though?
This sounds boring, because I sound like a parent here: Keep going to school, that’s very important. Acting is a very tough profession. You won’t get work, people say you’re no good and if you’re not passionate about it you’ll give up too easily. You have to believe in yourself and just go for it. And don’t expect it to happen overnight. Also, don’t become an actor or a performer because you want to be famous. That’s the wrong way. Just do it because you love doing it. The fame is a byproduct of that.
A good one or a bad one?
Some people say it’s a good one, some people say it’s a bad one. It depends how you look at it. It’s good to me in a way. It rarely interferes with my life to the point where I just don’t know how to deal with it properly. It is one of the side effects of what I do as an actor and sometimes a very flattering and nice one. Isn’t it nice walking into a city you’ve never been to before and someone goes “Hi Warwick!”? It is the weirdest thing but it’s what’s happens. People start to know who you are and you don’t know who they are. And you always get a table at a restaurant which is great (laughs).
So never give up your dream?
Exactly, never give up your dream. Make sure you really are passionate about acting and that’s what you want to do but at the same time keep with the education because when you’re acting, even when you grow up and become a successful actor there are still times when there’s no work. So you then have to turn to your education and use that and do another kind of business while you’re waiting for work. You have to be able to do two things.
Did you do that as well?
Yes, I run an agency. I represent other short actors so that business is running. I also produce shows. My business is all within entertainment.
I’ve got loads of ideas! I want to start selling ties. Some people, if they are very tall, their ties are too short. They do it up and it looks silly, doesn’t it? Or they try and make it longer and then it’s too thin because they’re using the thin bit. And for me, a tie is too big. When I do it up the knot is huge because I’m using the thicker bit. So I’m thinking that I’m gonna produce ties that are suitable for very tall people and very short people.
Extreme ties.
Extreme ties, yeah! I was gonna call it Tall Short Ties but Extreme Ties, I like that as well.
Will you be in the next Harry Potter movie then?
I hope so! Next February, we will start shooting so I’m hoping that Flitwick makes the script. I’m sure he will. It would be lovely just to make it the full set.
Did they approach you yet?
Not yet. But I know a lot of people there and it’s looking good.
Good luck!
Thank you. I look forward to seeing the sixth film! Finished it ages ago (laughs).
True! Those movies are a bit like a fairytale for adults. Do you still believe in magic, Santa Clause and all that?
Of course I do, yeah! I believe in magic, miracles, everything! All that stuff. Certainly that’s the way my life feels. A little bit it’s like “Gosh, I’m very lucky!”.
Is there still a dream role out there though which you would really love to play?
I’d love to be in the film version of the Hobbit if they do that. I know they are and that would be nice. What else? I do enjoy doing comedy so I would like to do some comedy. I always inject a little bit of humour in Flitwick in Harry Potter. There’s always funny stuff because I like to have fun and it seems to go down well.
In an interview you once said that to get actors to open up more you need to take them out of their comfort zone. How about, to take you out of your comfort zone, I give you ten seconds to think about something revealing about yourself that you never said in an interview before?
That’s a good question, wow. 10 out of 10 for that one. Something I’ve never told anybody in an interview… hmmm. What am I gonna say? (a while later) Very good this… hmmmm. (another while later) I enjoy to go on touring caravan holidays!
How come?
It’s an interesting reason and it’s a good reason, too. When I’m acting, I’m always in hotels. So to go away on holiday and to stay in a hotel for me is not such a treat. So I take the touring caravan and that’s different because it’s a home. It’s fun!
Do you own a caravan?
Yeah, it’s got a television, it’s got satellite TV, it’s got showers and toilets, it’s all very nice. Hook it on a car and you can go, it’s great! When you get there, you can unhook it and then you can explore with a car!
Where do you like to go?
We like to go to the Lake District, Northwest UK. We’ve never been to Europe though.
This is Europe…
(laughs) I never… Why did I say that?! I’ve never been tempted to go to any other European country then. That’s better – thank you. Now you know why this has never been written about before.
to the German version of this interview
© Harry Potter Xperts 2008
