By Caitlin Hofen, Feature Editor
As a longtime lover of all things “Harry Potter,” I was so excited to learn Tom Felton had written an autobiography about his time playing Draco Malfoy, a prominent character in the story.
He promised a look inside the day-to-day life as a child star in one of the biggest movie franchises in history, and “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard” did not disappoint.
In the beginning of the book, the foreword is written by Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the films and is close friends with Felton. Her writing was heartfelt and started the book beautifully.
Felton started off describing his family and how his life was before he started acting.
The entire book is written in conversational style, as if you’re speaking with Felton directly.
Readers learn of his journey through personal stories and the feelings he developed as he progressed as an actor.
Each chapter has a special sub-name relating to a different story he tells in each section.
He describes the audition process for “Harry Potter” and the different treatment he faced compared to the child actors who played the three most prominent roles. Felton said he had a relatively normal childhood compared to them because not many people could recognize him in public.
He gives readers an inside look at the actors who played the beloved or most hated characters.
The relationships he describes bring a sense of humanity to the characters when I reflect back on their performances.
My favorite and most surprising character revelation was Michael Gambon, who played Professor Dumbledore in six of the eight films.
According to Felton, he doesn’t embody the all-knowing grandfather vibe in real life.
In the book, Felton describes the hate he received from children and adults alike for playing a character who was mean to the protagonist of the story.
He had to come to terms that if he was doing his job correctly, there would be no separation between him and his character in the public’s eye.
After the success of “Harry Potter,” Felton tells of his struggles to find more acting work and his battle against alcoholism.
He ends by reflecting on his successes and his hope for a peaceful life doing what he enjoys.
I can’t say I was ever really a fan of Felton before reading this book, but I am now.
He was open and honest about the difficulties he overcame and how he changed for the better. He opened the world of “Harry Potter” in a light most fans would never see otherwise.
Felton told his story through entertaining, personal memories that made me want to continue reading more.
I would recommend this book to any “Harry Potter” lover.