Kenneth Branagh was once part of the ‘Harry Potter’ universe and played the role of one of the antagonists in the films, Gilderoy Lockhart. As the TV series approaches its release date, the veteran actor weighed in on what it was like to play the complex character and how the entire thing was a great challenge for him.
Kenneth Branagh opens up about playing Gilderoy Lockhart in ‘Harry Potter’ movies
The 65-year-old star recently attended the red carpet premiere of ‘Mayday’ on September 1. While talking to PEOPLE about his career there, the actor opened up about how it was like to play a character like Lockhart. Appearing in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ in 2002, the actor shared that it was a great and new experience for him to play a character like Lockhart.“I don’t have kids, but I had friends who had kids who, when the books were being published, would say, ‘We queued up to be at the bookshop when it opened at midnight for those books to be published, and then my 12-year-old spent two days reading it from start to finish,'” he recalled during the interview.Calling himself lucky, the actor added that the reception and love the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise received at the time of its release was unbelievable. He added, “That interest, that engagement with imaginations young and old, is incredible, and I was lucky to play a character who, with an autobiographical title like Magical Me, was very, very, very absorbed with himself and made himself a fascinating subject, so he thought.” He concluded by sharing that even though his character was only a part of one of the films, it has still stayed with him for a long time, as he is extremely grateful for the role and how it feels to be a part of something that has such a big impact on audiences.Branagh was also asked during the interview whether he is still in touch with any of his co-stars from the film. The actor replied, “The world is wide, and everybody’s gone on and done their various things. I feel as though it was a beautiful moment in my life where I had a chance to play a part.”
Kenneth Branagh’s latest film
Branagh’s latest film, ‘Mayday,’ was officially released on September 4 and premiered on Apple TV. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the premise of the movie follows the story of a US Navy pilot who is shot down and crashes down behind enemy lines. Stranded, he struggles to survive while an eccentric ex-KGB agent rescues him. The film has been written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, with Branagh playing the role of the KGB agent, while Ryan Reynolds joins him to play the role of the stranded Navy pilot.
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