Why Chicken Eggs Were Involved In The Harry Potter Casting Process
Harry Potter is arguably one of the most influential franchises of its generation. Not only did it spark a mainstream appreciation for fantasy stories, but it kicked off the careers of several A-list actors as well. From Daniel Radcliffe to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, the starry-eyed kids have grown up into household names before our eyes.
Another beloved actor who had his start in the Harry Potter films is Tom Felton. Known for his role as the devious Draco Malfoy, Felton is actually known to be a kind person in real life — and is still close friends with the heroes of Harry Potter to this day. What you may not know, however, is that Felton originally auditioned for a role that was much different than the one we've come to love (and hate). One of the reasons he was chosen as the perfect Malfoy was due to the odd test director Chris Columbus gave to the children.
Eggs at the audition
Tom Felton originally auditioned for the role of Harry Potter. Recently, when speaking about the casting process, Felton revealed that the young actors were asked to audition with the scene where Hagrid reveals he has a dragon's egg. Felton went on to explain, "[Director Chris Columbus] had a chicken egg and he purposefully cracked it on the table to see how you'd react."
Not only was this a creative way to see how the actors would handle something unexpected, but cracking the egg was also a good test to see which kids would react like Potter would have — with a sense of ethics and bravery. We can only assume Felton did something particularly Malfoy-like instead, like laugh or make a snide comment.
Felton has also confessed to being sneaky and cunning on set, much like his on-camera counterpart: "I carved my name into the tables of the Great Hall, much to the prop master's disgust. I hid sweets in my robe pockets, which were later revealed [to be filled with] melted chocolate. So they sewed up the pockets — I was single-handedly responsible for sewing up the pockets of the robes."
Though Malfoy is a character we love to hate, it's safe to say that Felton is one of the most beloved actors from the Harry Potter franchise. His willingness to share behind-the-scenes looks into the casting process is just another reason for fans to admire him.