Colin Farrell has opened up about his role as Percival Graves in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, revealing his love for the original eight Harry Potter movies and how much he enjoyed being a part of JK Rowling's magical universe. In a Q&A, he spoke about the films (though admitted he has never read the books!). He said: "I hadn’t read the books, but I’ve seen all the films based on the Harry Potter series, and loved every single one of them. I have such appreciation for the importance of cinema, and of films that provoke and have a social conscience or awareness; I also have a great appreciation for films that are true escapism."
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Colin plays the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
He continued to praise the original stories, explaining: "That's not to sell short what the Harry Potter series reached for as well, to encapsulate the importance of friendship, growth, and the turning in a life from a boy or a girl to a man or a woman. But the escapism that’s inherent and such a fundamental part of these films and the books, of course, was something that I was just so enamored by from the first time I saw the first film all those years ago. So, when I heard that they were doing another one and that J.K. Rowling had written the script … yeah, I was excited to be a part of this universe."
Colin opened up about his role
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The prequel to the Harry Potter series, which is set in 1920s New York City, sees Percival as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in New York City. Speaking about what he loved most about filming, Colin revealed he enjoyed character work the most. "Oh, I loved some of the wand stuff," he admitted. "And the action sequences were great, but the character work is the most fun for me. It’s just hard to beat a well-written scene with just two actors facing each other, figuring out the scene and going off each other – one leading, one following, and that becomes inverted – it never gets more fun than that."
The film is out now on digital download and on 4K Ultra HD, 3D, Blu-Ray and DVD on 27 March.
