'Harry Potter' star recalls first day at shooting: 'I was terrified'

Matthew Lewis, known for his role as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series, recently reminisced about his first day on set during an interview with People Magazine. The 34-year-old actor fondly recalled the experience of shooting his first scene at the age of 11 for J.K. Rowling’s beloved fantasy franchise.

Reflecting on his initial nerves while filming a scene involving Neville Longbottom riding a broomstick in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Lewis admitted, "I was terrified because the scene was all about Neville," adding, "and it was literally just a broomstick that they sat me on and strapped me to."

Describing the unconventional setup for the broomstick scene, Lewis recounted, "Then what they'd done is they'd stuck it on a crane, and then put the crane on the back of a pickup truck, and then just drove the pickup truck around in circles in Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and filmed it."

He went on to detail the primitive contraptions used for filming, including a rotating trebuchet-like device, to which he and his stuntman were strapped. Despite the unconventional methods, Lewis assured fans that safety precautions were in place, albeit with a touch of improvisation: "I think they were just making it up as they went along [early on]."

Reflecting on the evolution of the production over the years, Lewis noted the increasing sophistication of the filmmaking process as the series progressed. He concluded with a chuckle, acknowledging the enduring legacy of the Harry Potter films, stating, "It means so much to people" even years later.