15 Things You Didn't Know About The 'Harry Potter' Movies

It's always cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at movies and television shows. Sometimes you will find out a fun fact or funny anecdote. When it comes to Harry Potter, which had EIGHT MOVIES, there is a lot to learn about the magic that went on behind the cameras! The books often described things that seemed impossible to translate to film, but somehow they managed to do it! That's all thanks to awesome props, costuming, editing, actors… everyone played an essential part in this epic film series. If you are a true Harry Potter fanatic, you know you have to know every little single bit of information about the series. Harry Potter fans often take pride in their knowledge of Harry Potter trivia. Many a time, if two Harry Potter fans encounter each other, they will attempt to challenge each other on who knows more! Hopefully, this list will help you win this challenge. Here are 15 cool things about the filming of the Harry Potter series.

15 Emma Watson Crushed On Tom Felton

Emma Watson, the awesome actress behind the book smart and surprisingly street smart Hermione, was merely a child when she was cast. When you are little and just discovering who you are and hitting puberty, there is no doubt that crushes are going to happen. Emma Watson, for example, had a crush on Tom Felton, who played her enemy Draco Malfoy! Emma has said, “Between the ages of ten and twelve I had a really terrible crush on Tom Felton, to the extent that I would go into work in the morning and look down the numbers on the call sheet to see if he was going to be in. We love a bad guy, he was a few years older and he had a skateboard - and that just did it really.” We can honestly say that is the cutest thing we have ever heard. Unfortunately, the feelings were not reciprocated: “He totally knew and the thing is that he'd tell everyone, 'I see her in a younger, sisterly way,' and it just broke my heart. It still does." Aw, poor Emma!

14 Alan Rickman Caught Rupert Grint Drawing An Unflattering Picture Of Him

While the kids in the cast bonded quickly, it was important for a rapport to be developed with the older actors, too. Rupert Grint, who played Harry's loyal sidekick with flaming red hair, had a close call with the late, great Alan Rickman, who played the intimidating Severus Snape. The cast insists he was sometimes intimidating in real life, not because of his personality but because of his trademark Snape voice! Earlier in the series, Rupert was doodling behind-the-scenes and went to draw what he describes as an “unpretty” Alan Rickman. Of course, unbeknownst to Rupert, guess who was looming over him when he drew the picture? Alan Rickman, of course. There was no drama, though. Alan actually asked Rupert if he could keep it. “I've made him sign it and I have it in my possession,” Alan said. “And I'm very fond of it.” Talk about the exact opposite of his character Snape! We miss you, Alan Rickman!

13 Maggie Smith Battled Breast Cancer During Filming

There was only one character that rivaled Hermione's fierce witchiness: Professor McGonacall. She took no crap in the series and the amazingly gifted actress Maggie Smith took no crap in real life… and that included cancer. Unfortunately, Maggie was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was extremely debilitating. If you have seen cancer before, you know how horrible it can be and how sick it can make you. Maggie had a choice to make: continue on with the series or retire. After all, she was in so much pain. But Maggie eventually made the courageous decision to see the series through. Of course, she was given the care she needed by all of the cast and crew. There is even an adorable picture of Daniel Radcliffe holding an umbrella for her! She even wore a wig for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as she lost her hair due to chemotherapy. Maggie hated the chemo, claiming it felt worse than the cancer itself. She said, “You feel horribly sick. I was holding on to railings, thinking 'I can't do this.'" But she fought hard, and she is slowly recovering. She has shared, “The last couple of years have been a write-off, though I'm beginning to feel like a person now. My energy is coming back. S*** happens. I ought to pull myself together a bit.”

12 The Main Trio Wrote Essays On Their Characters

For the filming of the third movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a new director was brought in: Alfonso Cuaron. Alfonso took a unique approach to working with his actors and wanted to make sure they really understood and connected with their character. He asked the main trio, Emma (Hermione), Rupert (Ron), and Daniel (Harry) to write an essay on their character. Surprisingly, Alfonso found that his actors were more similar to their characters than he thought! Emma (who played the brainiest of the bunch, of course) turned in a 16-page essay. What a Hermione move! Daniel wrote one page, putting in just enough to get by like Harry often did with his academics. As for Rupert who plays slacker Ron? He did not even write the essay at all! "It's quite Ron-ish not to do it," Rupert said. "I think he kind of appreciated that."

11 Harry's Eyes Were Originally Green

There was a slip-up when it came to Harry's eyes in the book and in the movies. The book emphasized that Harry had green eyes just like his mother. His likeness to his mother was brought up throughout the series. Only one problem: Daniel Radcliffe has blue eyes! Attempting to stay true to the story, Daniel was given green contacts to match Harry's description. Unfortunately, Daniel had a major allergic reaction to them. With J.K. Rowling's approval, they went on filming with a blue-eyed Harry Potter. When offered the chance to have Daniel's eyes digitally altered to be green in post-production, J.K. Rowling declined. She said, “The only really important thing is that his eyes look like his mother's eyes. So if you're casting Lily, there needs to be a resemblance, but they don't absolutely have to be green.” This saved a lot of time and effort and Daniel was able to keep his striking blue eyes throughout the movies.

10 Daniel Radcliffe Impressed Jason Issacs With His Improv

When you are a kid playing such a serious role with well-known adult actors, it can be a little nerve-racking. But to the surprise of Jason Issacs, who played Draco's father Lucius, Daniel Radcliffe stepped up to the plate by improving a line back to him. Jason was super impressed. Remember Lucius' leering look at Harry at the end of Chamber of Secrets when he mutters “Let us hope Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day”?  Daniel Radcliffe stood up to Jason with a glaring, determined look on his face and said “Don't worry. I will be.” That was all completely unplanned! Keep in mind Daniel was just 12 years old at this point! “A chill went down my spine,” recalls Jason. “And as he did it, I thought, 'Christ, this kid is good.'" Even at a young age, Daniel Radcliffe was definitely not below his adult peers when it came to his amazing acting ability!

9 Evanna Lynch Was Pen Pals With J.K. Rowling Before She Was Cast

Once upon a time there was a little girl, who happened to be a HUGE Harry Potter fan, who suffered from anorexia and was hospitalized. That little girl was Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the films. She was such a fan of the series that she wrote to J.K. Rowling herself. She said, "I told her the books gave me hope, particularly Luna Lovegood. I told how I looked up to her. She wrote back and was like a counselor. She told me anorexia is destructive, not creative, and the brave thing was not to succumb to it. I told her I'd love to be in the films and she encouraged that but said I'd need to be well to do so. In the end, I think that's why I recovered.” How amazing was J.K. Rowling to write back to a little girl with anorexia, one of billions of fan letters we are sure, to give her some advice? And how amazing is it that just a few years later, Evanna BECAME Luna Lovegood for the films? Her dream came true, and J.K. Rowling played a part in that.

8 There Is A Hagrid Robot

The scruffy and loyal Hagrid, who always had Harry's back in the series, was half-giant. (We do not like to think too much about how that worked!) While actor Robert Coltrane is 6'4” and already a very large man, he was no half-giant. This is where the editing came in. There was a “small Hagrid” and a “big Hagrid” for filming. Can you BELIEVE Robert was the small Hagrid?! As for the “big Hagrid”? It was part ROBOT. Crazy, huh? The robot was acted out with and managed by actor Martin Bayfield. When Hagrid is speaking, they used angles to shoot Robert Coltrane reciting his lines. For far away shots, so that they could truly depict his giant-ness, Martin Bayfield stepped into his half costume-half robot outfit. Of course, this was not the only special effects that actors had to take on to really properly execute their roles, but it is definitely interesting to hear there is a Hagrid robot!

7 There Are Two Dumbledores

This fact might be a slightly more well-known one, but it is intriguing nonetheless. Dumbledore in the first two movies in the series was portrayed by Richard Harris. Richard had that twinkle in his eye that all of the fans of the book pictured. Unfortunately, Richard died after filming the second movie, and so he had to be re-cast. Actor Michael Gambon stood up to the plate, understanding he had very big shoes to fill. Even more awkward? Michael himself is a long, established actor and was awarded the Richard Harris Award for his successful career. “I knew him and he died and I took over his part in Harry Potter,” Michael said of his role and his award. “He only did two films and I did six films and all I did was copy Richard." It is very sweet and nice to see that Michael wanted to take up where Richard left off and honor Richard Harris the best way he knew how: portraying the wise, powerful Dumbledore that Richard once was.

6 Matthew Lewis Wore A Fat Suit

At the beginning of the series, Neville Longbottom was not exactly a heartthrob. A chubby classmate with crooked teeth, Neville was also very loyal to Harry and Dumbledore. If you search pictures of the actor, Matthew Lewis today, you will be WOWED. What a babe! How did that happen so quickly?! Well, it did not happen as fast as we think. While Matthew may have played a character that has an awkward physical appearance as a defining characteristic, Matthew luckily hit puberty and morphed into a Greek God, basically. However, Neville was not supposed to! To keep the charade up, they made Matthew wear a fat suit for a time! He said, “Being 15 years old in the middle of puberty, having to wear a fat suit. There's girls around; I've got this fat suit on every day. No one knows I'm wearing this damn thing, they all just think I'm fat. Now, as an actor, I go, 'Why did you ever even complain about that? You're the luckiest man alive.'” At least he gained perspective, and now he is a certified hottie!

5 Adult Voldemort Is Related To Young Voldemort

You may not recognize the actor that portrays the Dark Lord Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes, out of costume. Or maybe you do. Because he's an established actor who has starred in other stuff. But if you do recognize him, you may see his features in actor Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. The resemblance between these two characters is important, as, well, they play the same character! Ralph is the evil dark lord, while Hero plays Voldemort as a child, visited by Dumbledore in an orphanage to tell him he is a wizard and has been accepted to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Casting Hero ended up being an easy choice, as it turns out he is related to Ralph Fiennes himself! Hero is his nephew! We do not know if this was a coincidence or nepotism, but Hero happened to fit the part perfectly. Hero has only been in a few things himself, but maybe his role in the Harry Potter series will help him to win parts just like his uncle!

4 Tom Felton's Funniest Line Was Improved

Daniel Radcliffe and Jason Issacs are not the only brilliant improvisers of the cast. Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, issued one of the funniest lines in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In the particular scene, Harry and Ron have taken Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Draco's lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. When trying to come up with an excuse for their absence upon Draco's questioning, Harry and Ron (who Draco still thinks is actually Crabbe and Goyle) said they were reading. That was the moment Tom forgot his line and delivered this brilliance: “I didn't know you could read.” The director loved it so much he put it in the movie. It got a big laugh from the audiences and, in a way, proved Tom could do comedy as well as drama. Improvisation, aka making things up on the spot, is a huge skill for talented actors, and it was impressive that someone as young as Tom had seemed to nail the practice.

3 J.K. Rowling Told The Screenwriters That Dumbledore Was Gay

As many fans know, author J.K. Rowling revealed that Dumbledore was gay after the series ended. This was not just a spur-of-the-moment decision, however. Rowling decided this way before the end of the series but felt it was not relevant to include. She had to step in, however, when a draft of a script she read had Dumbledore lamenting to Harry about a crush on a girl he had. Rowling had to get out her big red pen and write on the margin's “Dumbledore's gay!” If that was not enough, she let loose during an interview and told everyone that Dumbledore had been in love with Gellert Grindelwald, someone who had not been described as Dumbledore's lover, just someone who he had a complicated relationship with in the past. The reception to this revelation was mainly positive. “If I had known this would have made you this happy, I would have announced it years ago!” Rowling said.

2 Bill Weasley And Mad-Eye Moody Are Father And Son

While Ralph Fiennes had his nephew in one of the films, he never actually got the opportunity to act alongside him. This was not the case for Damhnall Gleeson and Brendan Gleeson. We bet you can tell what is coming from the shared last names! Damhnall played Bill Weasley, one of Ron's brothers, while Brendan played the eerie but ultimately good Mad-Eye Moody. They had exactly one scene together, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. They are in the same room as Harry's friends attempt to brainstorm a safe haven for him and how to safely get him there. This may have been very emotional for Damhnall because (SPOILER ALERT!) Mad-Eye Moody is killed shortly after. While we do not get to see the actual death, it just reinforced what J.K. Rowling proved time and time again: nobody, not even beloved characters, are safe. Mad-Eye Moody was kind of funny-looking too-we wonder how Damhnall reacted to his father all dressed up like that!

1 Voldemort/Draco's Awkward Hug Was Unplanned

Once again, another hilarious improvised moment involving Tom Felton. However, Tom was not the genius behind the moment this time. Instead, we can credit Ralph Fiennes, who used Voldemort's manipulation of Draco in such an awkward way. In the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the audience gets an inkling that Draco begins to realize he is on the wrong side. However, his parents support Voldemort, and Voldemort beckons him to come join their side. As he does, Voldemort gives the most CRINGEWORTHY hug to Draco that has been immortalized as a GIF. That hug was not planned, and Draco's reaction was 100% actor Tom Felton's reaction: confused, weirded out, and awkward. It makes sense that Voldemort, who has never experienced proper love, would not be the best at showing affection. The director just HAD to keep the hug in the film. Not only did it show Draco's hesitation to change sides, but it was just unintentionally hilarious.