‘Harry Potter’ Prequel Star Eddie Redmayne Wishes He Was A Weasley


Eddie Redmayne is an emerging star in the world of fiction, particularly after being cast as the lead in the Harry Potter prequel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It turns out that Redmayne has always wanted to be a part of the Harry Potter universe, but his dream role had a little more red hair and freckles than the one he’s in now.

In a recent interview, Redmayne revealed that long before Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a thought in the cinematic world, he wished he could have been a Weasley.

“For years I was always like, in the Harry Potter films, there was a whole ginger family, and I never got an audition. And I was like, ‘Come on, it’s outrageous!'” he joked during an interview with the Daily Mail. “So I was desperate. Every actor in England was in the Harry Potter films, but I never got the call. Now I’m having my moment.”

He’s had his moment, indeed. The Theory of Everything Actor is playing a major role in the Harry Potter universe that fans can’t wait to see in person. The first official teaser trailer was finally released in the middle of December, much to the excitement of those who cried when the Harry Potter series came to a close. Watch the thrilling sneak peek below.

Let’s imagine for just a moment that Eddie Redmayne had gotten the part as a Weasley. Who would he have been?

The Weasley family is renowned as some of the best and loyal wizarding blood in the Harry Potter world. The massive family includes seven children — six boys and one girl. There’s Harry Potter’s best friend, Ron, who’s played by Rupert Grint, and, of course, Harry’s future wife, Ginny, who’s played by Bonnie Wright. Can’t really see Redmayne playing either of those.

A particularly amusing part for Redmayne no doubt would have been one of the twins Fred and George, played by James and Oliver Phelps respectively. Those two tricksters are always getting into trouble with practical jokes and pranks. It was also revealed that J.K. Rowling had originally intended to have Fred and Hermione Granger end up together in the end instead of Ron and Hermione, which is backed up by all the foreplay between Fred and Hermione in the books leading up to the end. Too bad Redmayne doesn’t have an identical twin, or he could have had been a front-runner for this part.

Redmayne probably wouldn’t have gotten the role of Percy, the snooty but good-hearted brother played by Chris Rankin, or Bill (played by Domhnall Gleeson), who works at Gringotts and ends up joining the Order of the Pheonix towards the end of the series. Those parts are both a little different than the role Redmayne usually plays.

The perfect part for Redmayne would have been Charlie, the Weasley not shown in the films but who, in the books, works in Romania with dragons. Charlie shows up a few times in the books, but we first see him when Harry is tasked with beating a dragon in The Goblet of Fire. This would have been an ideal part for Redmayne leading up to his current role, since his character in the new film has no doubt encountered a few dragons in his time, after all.

J.K. Rowling was hard on her luck when she wrote the Harry Potter series and became famous for one of the most beloved story of all time. She has both written and produced the newest Harry Potter film, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
J.K. Rowling was hard on her luck when she wrote the Harry Potter series and became famous for one of the most beloved story of all time. She has both written and produced the newest Harry Potter film, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.’ [Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images]

The film is based on a Hogwarts textbook that J.K. Rowling later adapted into a real book. It’s a list of magical creatures and where they’re typically living. The film follows Newt Scamander, a magizoologist whose goal is to travel the world to discover and document magical creatures.

The screenplay was written by J.K. Rowling, who is also the producer. The Harry Potter prequel with Eddie Redmayne in the lead role is set to open in theaters in the United States on November 18, 2016.

[Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]

Share this article: ‘Harry Potter’ Prequel Star Eddie Redmayne Wishes He Was A Weasley
More from Inquisitr