As you might imagine, it was an amazing experience which you canread about here.
While on set I got to participate in group interviews with a lot of the cast.
If you’ve readThe Deathly Hallows, you know Griphook plays a very important part in the final installments.
Or it’s possible for you to read the transcript below.
Question: Is that a Segway you were on?
Davis: Yes it is.
Is it fun to fool around on that thing?
Davis: Yeah, its really great.
So if youre on a long trip on it, you could just sit down there.
The S has been cut off the logo.
[laughing]
Davis: Its unique.
In the world, its the only Egway ever.
You play two different parts in 7th Part One and Two.
Davis: Yes I do.
Can you talk a little bit about the two different characters you play in the film?
Well, the first is this guy here whos missing his mustache and glasses at the moment.
This is Professor Flitwick whom Ive played since movie three onwards.
Theres some serious action in this one.
I actually get to dispatch some death eaters and stuff so its all very exciting.
But I kind of…
So his voice was like, We want key like.
You know, it was very much up there.
Davis: I havent found it difficult.
Hes got bigger ears and nose.
And theyre made of silicon, so silicons a quite dense product.
So I got to certainly know when Im Grip Hook.
You know what Im saying.
One of the biggest sequences in the book is the robbery of Gringotts bank.
And youre involved in that scene quite a lot.
Talk about how massive it is or sort of whats involved.
Davis: Well, the scenes a very important part.
And it was, I mean, a huge scene in many different ways.
So that was the first undertaking.
It was a huge set.
And then we had to fill it with goblins and there were 60 goblins in the scene.
I have another connection with them because I represent them as an agent as well.
And it sounds quite easy because we represent well over that number of actors under five feet.
So you had to confirm everybody was kind of up to the challenge of doing that.
And the scene just looks amazing.
And it just was tremendous.
So it was one of those days I didnt have to be in makeup.
I had to be there but I didnt have to be in makeup.
There was some sort of record set.
I couldnt quote what it was, but yeah.
And again, thats slightly different and more dramatic than the first film its slightly enhanced version.
Theres a big prank involved.
Davis: There will be, yes.
Ive yet to see that.
So, yes, its really quite exciting and thats the thing about these films.
Youre in the environment.
Like, if theyre believing in it, then the audience will also believe in it.
Do you know what Im saying?
Do you find that more challenging?
Davis: Well, its something Ive grown up doing.
Thats my genre, you know– sci-fi, horror, all of that.
But it can be quite difficult.
I remember one particularly challenging day I had on Star Wars Episode 1.
And that really was taking film making to a sort of minimalist level, you know.
And one day George says, Well, we need you to be leading this creature around.
So I said, OK. Its a big dinosaur sort of creature and I said, OK. And then seeing the movie, I was like, Oh, that actually works.
Davis: The Griphook’s slightly longer, but not terribly.
Its hard to leave those in because theyre so sharp.
Ive often bit my tongue when Im talking in a scene.
So youve been in all of them?
Davis: All of them.
Its quite exciting, yeah.
Three if you count the voice.
Huge sections would be left, and so I was always like really worried every time that…
The most worrying time was on the third one when Flitwick wasnt in the script.
And I was like, Aww.
Seemed like this is the one Im not going to be doing.
I was like, Yeah, well, I know, but thats fine.
He said, Wed really like you to be part of it.
Would you consider doing another character?
I said, Of course.
I should have said, Yeah, well, Ill think about it.
[laughing]
But no, I said yeah.
So we came up with this sort of new look character for a conductor.
And then when it came to doing the fourth film, Michael Newell was presented with two pictures.
Which would you like, Warrick, to be in this film?
And he pointed to this guy, so thats how he became Flitwick.
Thats how the change occurred.
But this character, for me, hes quite different to the older Flitwick.
You know the old one was really…he reminded me a lot of my school teachers.
You know, hes quite old…I love old school teachers, teaching Latin and science and things.
So I kind of based him on all of those.
What was your reaction…could you talk about when you got the 7th book?
Like did you get it on opening day?
Could you talk about you getting it and also your reaction to reading it?
Davis: Well, I dont actually go and get the books on opening day.
I dont do that.
Its unique when you make a film of a novel you see.
Normally the first time you read about your character is in a script.
But you kind of almost get this sort of premonition, this forewarning of what might be happening.
But then that can lead to disappointment sometimes.
You go, Oh, thats really cool.
And then sometimes you get to go, Oh wow.
In the book I wasnt there but look, Im there now.
Do you know what I mean?
So theres pros and cons to it, I suppose, you know.
But I think its going to do it justice and verify it has a great sort of finale.
Can you talk about sort of…youve been in all of the films.
Its almost like a proper job in a way, you know, that Ill go to.
Its going to be really weird and sad.
And then now that it isnt going to happen anymore, it will be sad.
Davis: He hasnt asked me yet, but Ill be dropping lots of hints, I assure you.
I assure you I will most definitely be dropping hints.
Were still in touch.
I mean I didnt know he thought of me like that.
Its really, really nice.
Whens the book coming out?
Davis: Comes out April 15th in the U.K. and this summer in the U.S.
Whats it called?
Davis: Its called Size Matters Not.
Do you have a most memorable experience, person to person, with a fan?
Davis: Oh my goodness.
I mean, just, Harry Potter fans are very different to Star Wars fans in a sense.
So Ive had some lovely more sort of conversational jot down events.
I was like, What the heck.
Why dont I just go along?
And it was just a really nice evening.
There were children aged from sort of from 6 to 60, you know.
They seemed to love them in equal measure.
Its not like, I dont read the books.
I only watch the films.
So that was really nice.
They often tell me things about my character I didnt know.
And theyll often tell me some sort of revelationary information and Ill be like, Really?
When Flitwicks birthday is, for example, and things that I wouldnt know.
I know youve got to go.
Davis: Have I got to go.
I want to know if youve been able to take home any souvenirs from the set?
Davis: No, I wish.
My daughter was given a Gringotts galleon from the first film.
She has one of those.
And I would love to have a Flitwick wand to go along with that.
That would be great
Davis: Drop the hint then.
[laughing]
Thank you very much.
Davis: I think everybody would want their wand.
You speak to the other actors.
Yeah, itd be kind of cool.
Is the Segway yours or is that studios?
Davis: Thats mine.
I bought it in America last year because…I dont know why I bought it?
It was one of those impulse moments, you know.
For moreHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowscoverage:
Collider Goes to Hogwarts!
