V Exclusive: Harry Potter Kids Chat About 'Deathly Hallows 2'

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) on Neville's big moment at the end of the movie and how he pulled it off: JK Rowling had already told me a few years previously that she had written an exciting bit about Neville Longbottom, and I didn’t know what to expect. But I remember sitting upright in bed like, “Wow.” I knew Neville was special, I knew he had something to give but I didn’t know it would be something quite as special as that. So naturally, immediately after the excitement calmed down, the pressure started to build and I realized it was going to be crucial. I’m a huge fan of the book and I know what these stories mean to a lot of people around the world and I wanted to make sure we got that right. I remember reading the script and being very, very nervous when it came to the day, and when we had to do that scene I was terrified. Ralph [Fiennes], he’s a very, very frightening man, especially when he looks like that (Lord Voldomort), and David Yates is very keen to get it in the first few takes. He believes they’re the best and I agree. So he tried to get it as real as possible and so we don’t do much rehearsal. All we did for that scene was blocking and then we had a quick run through with the lines all on our own clause and he was still terrifying. He did this thing⎯to this day, I have no idea whether he did it on purpose or whether he was aware of it but he just stared at me the whole time. Even when other people were speaking his eyes never left my face and it was like he was studying me and I just went to pieces. I felt like I was in the hardest exam of my entire life. It was frightening. But it gave me that extra boost. And that kind of challenge as an actor is what you need. I think actors tend to be in their element when they’re being pushed out of their comfort zone. I don’t know if it’s any good, that’s for the audience to decide, but I know that I loved every single moment of it and being able to work. Despite the pressure, despite the nerves it was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I’ll never forget it.