AK: How did you prepare for the darker tone of this film?

EW: I felt there was a real change in tone, and it was definitely a big step up in terms of what I had to bring. I didn’t prepare particularly differently. A lot more was asked of me than had ever been asked before. It was nice to feel challenged, and I had to step up and engage my brain and really think and put everything into it. I was able to focus on giving a really good performance because I wasn’t in school.

AK: When you look back on the franchise, are there scenes you’re especially proud of?

EW: Yeah, I think there was a bunch of stuff I had to do that really pushed me. When Ron was left in my arms, when I was tortured by Bellatrix, a bunch of stunts I had to do. I had to jump off a building onto the back of a dragon, and there were shots that were very technical with lots of running. If I could do that stuff, hopefully I can do anything. It was very good training ground for anything that might get thrown at me. Nothing would shock me now.

AK: How did you approach the final scene, in which you play yourself as an adult?

EW: It was really interesting and challenging. The thing that was hardest was trying to imagine that I had children that I was sending off to school. That was really strange. And it was weird that I was seeing these guys that I’d grown up with suddenly looking old. But it was fun. It felt nice to do that scene, but it really felt as if we had completed that journey fully as we possibly could. We had makeup on. I had, like, a little fat suit that changed my figure a little — it changed the shape of my body a little. And I had a wig and teeth in. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be. I thought it was really going to freak me out.

AK: When is the last time you spoke to Jo Rowling?

EW: The last time I saw Jo was at the BAFTAs in February. It was nice to see her and have a chat. I think now that she’s not writing the books anymore, she has a bit more time to be involved with the movies, which is so nice. I can’t believe how fortunate we are that she is so supportive. She kind of didn’t have to be. She’s incredibly involved. She didn’t used to have time to come and visit the set, but this time she came and visited more. She came to the BAFTAs to support the movies, and at the premieres she’s around a bit more. I just felt her presence more.

AK: Deep down, do you think you’d ever return to the role if another book came out?

EW: Never say never. I would just have to see how I felt and where I was at the time. It’s really difficult to say.

– Amy Kaufman
                                LA TIMES