Emma Watson's body double for Hermione Granger, Flick Miles, has revealed what the experience was like punching Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) while filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Although the beloved franchise ended nearly a decade ago, the Harry Potter series forever lives on through the fans' unwavering support and passion.
The Harry Potter franchise consists of eight major blockbuster films, in which fans were immediately captivated by the infinite magic of the wizard world and the dynamic chemistry between the famous trio - Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Watson). Due to their loyal fan-base, the franchise has received it’s very own spin-off in 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, with the debut of the third installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, now just a few weeks away. One of the three main protagonists and the only heroine of the films is Hermione Granger - a fellow member of the Gryffindor house, known for her innate intelligence and allegiance to her two best friends, Harry and Ron. It was Granger's clever mind and keen intuition that saved the trio numerous times in near-death situations throughout all eight movies. Most notably, Granger's intel on the Time Turner is what allowed for her and Harry to be able to rescue Hagrid's hippogriff, Buckbeak, in addition to Harry's godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Watson was just eleven years old when she shot the first film, and she immediately became a childhood star, acquiring a long-lasting, impressive career still to this day.
Since the Harry Potter franchise has ended, she’s gone on to star in Disney’s acclaimed live-action Beauty and the Beast and in Greta Gerwig's Little Women. Recently, one of Watson's body doubles, Miles, has come forward to share her experience shooting a popular scene in Prisoner of Azkaban in which she has to punch Draco Malfoy. In an interview with the Scottish Daily Express, Miles revealed that both she and Watson filmed the Harry Potter scene, but prior to shooting, Miles claims she had never thrown a punch in her life before. Miles stated, “It was probably cut because my punch was rubbish and so not convincing, so they just kept in Emma’s. I am a really non-athletic person. I have never thrown a punch before in my life and the team told me just go for it, so you are like ‘oh okay.’ It is such a great scene, isn’t it. I filmed the scene as well and so did Emma, so that happens all the time, we both film a scene, and they just edit it together."
"Our hands did not connect with his face, it was more like a pass to him, and he did the reaction. Tom is a great sport so he found it funny as well," Miles continued. "Malfoy is a great character, and completely different to what Tom is like in real life. He is such a lovely person, so I think he was slightly glad the character got put in his place a little too.” Miles went on to share that she considers that scene in particular to be a pivotal moment in which, “Hermione is finally standing up for herself.”
For many fans, that scene was an inspiring moment, witnessing a female protagonist defend and speak her truth - something that needs to be represented on screen more, an act of defiance. Luckily, fans will be getting their next dose of magic sooner rather than later, as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore premieres next month.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Scottish Daily Express