Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis recently took a hilarious trip down memory lane, sharing some wild details about his first day on set.
In a new interview with People Magazine, the 34-year-old acting prodigy looked back to his early days playing the awkward but lovable Neville Longbottom at just 11 years old in the magical mayhem of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
Reflecting on his first attempt to ride a broomstick in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Matthew laughed, “I was absolutely petrified because the whole scene was centered around Neville. And let me tell you, it was literally just a broomstick they plopped me on and strapped me to. Talk about DIY wizardry!”
He went on to describe the zany setup: “So, they rigged this broomstick to a crane, then slapped the crane onto the back of a pickup truck and just zoomed around in circles at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. Can you imagine? It was like a magical merry-go-round gone bonkers!”
“They had these medieval contraptions—like something straight out of a wizard’s worst nightmare. One was a trebuchet with the broomstick attached, and it spun around like a corkscrew. And guess who was strapped to it? Yours truly, and my poor stuntman [David Holmes] too,” he added with a chuckle.
Despite the chaotic start, Matthew reassured fans that safety was a priority…kind of. “I think they were just winging it back then,” he said, “but hey, we survived!”
“As the years went on, the tech got way cooler. By the later films, it was like broomstick riding had gone to wizarding grad school,” he joked, reflecting on the evolution of the movie magic.
With a hearty laugh, he wrapped up by marveling at the series’ enduring legacy, “It still means so much to people today. Who knew nearly falling off a broomstick would turn into something so epic?”
