Chris Columbus, the director behind Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films, recently opened up about his experience casting child actors. During an appearance in Demi Lovato’s documentary Child Star, Columbus talked about the challenges and key factors he considers when casting young actors, especially for projects as iconic as Harry Potter.
Chris Columbus on Casting
Columbus also emphasized on issues of choosing the right child actor and also the parentage role of giving the child a proper environment. He described how, in his years of service, he came to understand the stern manner in which home background determines a child’s health and productivity. This was particularly so especially after what happened to the Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin who rose to fame when young but had problems at home.
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In an interview regarding his decision of lead actors for Harry Potter Columbus said that he was much cautious while finalizing actors for the title role as well as for Hermione and Ron i.e. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma and Rupert Grint respectively. He said that the selection of actors not only depended on what the actor can do in front of the camera, but also the stability of the family of the child actor. According to Columbus: “I can’t have an actor go home to a really shaky environment for the sake of a film like this.”
Chris Columbus was not left out on the immense pressure he had to go through while looking for the actor who would play Harry Potter. “I had to put blinders on because that’s all I was hearing everywhere,” he said in regards to people, fans and media in particular, asking him questions about who would be part of the lead cast. All expected that the film to be a success this was a reality because the moment it was set to launch everyone expected it to make the market.
He also stressed the need for the finding to ensure that child actors appreciated some of the implications of the anticipated role in their lives. The stars were asked to make contracts for multiple films, and Columbus provided them with information about what is expected from them and getting ready for the resultant glory.
Columbus also added that he had things to learn from Macaulay Culkin. Culkin had to take up the responsibility to provide for his family due to the death of his parents and this was even more pressuring. Thinking of this he tried to make certain that the child actors to appear in Harry Potter movies had the talents to do so and more to that; they had a home they could turn to for comfort.
By focusing on the family dynamic, Columbus helped create a stable environment for the young stars of Harry Potter, allowing them to navigate their newfound fame more smoothly.
