Harry Potter’s Neville Longbottom Actor Matthew Lewis Finds It ‘Painful’ To Rewatch Himself In The Movies

21 January 2021, 13:00

Matthew Lewis played the adorably awkward Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies, but he can’t bear to watch himself back.

Matthew Lewis, 31, said he finds it ‘painful’ to watch himself back as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, because he sees so much of himself in the character.

The Longbottom actor starred in the J.K Rowling based series from 2001 to 2011, growing up in the spotlight alongside the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

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In an interview with The New York Times he said: “I find it quite difficult when too much of me starts to come through in a character.”

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The star said he finds it easier when he can play someone worlds away from who he is “like a police officer in London or someone wealthy.”

Matthew continued: “At times it's painful how much of me there is in Neville. When I'm watching, I'm like, ‘That's not Neville; that's you’.”

However, he said he’s forever grateful to have been part of the movie franchise.

“If there's something people remember you by, there are worse things than the Harry Potter franchise.” Matthew added. "It opened so many doors for me when I otherwise wouldn't even have gotten in the room.”

David Yates, director of the final four films, spoke to the newspaper about the likeness between Matthew and his character.

He explained: “[Matthew] became more confident, more curious, more present as the films progressed. And more ambitious.”

Referring to a scene where Neville blew up the bridge to Hogwarts to delay Lord Voldemort and his army in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Yates said: “It captured the charms of Neville and Matthew's everyman quality. He had a modesty and an honesty that was hard to ignore."

Most recently, Matthew has starred in Amazon Prime series All Creatures Great and Small. He’s also had numerous other film roles since Harry Potter, including as Patrick in Me Before You.

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