Harry Potter’s PR Strategy: Charm The Kids
Are the young Harry Potter actors not the best? They are, because they’re not ridiculous celebrity assholes, instead choosing acting in Broadway shows, going to Ivy League schools, and throwing down the charm offensive on young 11 year-old reporters. Seriously:
New York’s Jada Yuan reported seeing the following interaction at Friday’s NYC premiere of the new Harry Potter movie. Harry Potter (muggle name: Daniel Radcliffe) was doing red carpet interviews, charming people along the way. A gaggle of reporters gets in his face. One of them is an 11 year-old cutie from Scholastic.
Radcliffe (to other reporters): “One moment, one moment. I will come back to you. [Locks eyes with Scholastic News girl] Hello!”
Girl: “Hey. I’m Danielle from Scholastic News.”
Radcliffe: “Hello, Danielle! Pleasure to meet you.”
Danielle: “This is an honour to interview you.”
Radcliffe: “Oh, thank you. You’re very sweet. Thank you.”
Danielle: “I’ve seen the first and second movies and read the first and second book and they are SO good. Especially the movies. I loved them, the movies!”
Radcliffe: “Thank you very much. You’re very, very kind. They get even better than that, though, so when you get time or when your parents think you’re old enough, you must watch the rest. They’re very cool.”
And then:
Other reporter: “Daniel, how…”
Radcliffe: “One moment, one moment.”
Other reporter: “They told us to group together.”
Radcliffe: “It will happen. One second, sorry.” [re-focuses on Danielle]
Danielle: “How did Harry change from the first movie to the second? I mean, the sixth?”
Radcliffe: “To the sixth? Well, he grew marginally taller. The films have gotten a lot darker since that first film, so I think he has had to get a lot tougher since then. Thank you very much.”
Danielle [holding breath, then nearly dropping mike]: “Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God. That was soooo cool!”
There’s a little more where that came from. Why can’t all movie stars be like the Harry Potter kids? Maybe they’ll start to be. Even though Harry Potter reaps its millions of successes (read: dollars) on the strength of the actual franchise property, it surely can’t hurt that parents can find something to enjoy in letting their kids be influenced by its key players. Even Radcliffe didn’t have his parent-approval rating hurt by letting his cock hang out on the West End and Broadway in Equus. Who’d of thought? Young, million-dollar movie stars as role models to kids. Magic!
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@Senor_Macho_Solo: Hard to blame her - she's done what she must to make it as far as she has in the malevolently swirling, back-stabbing, dream-crushing workplace environment that is Scholastic Magazine.
Trai_Dep
Loved how Danielle kept herself together until the interview concluded, then (properly) wigged out. If older reporters could meet her level of professionalism, there'd be a lot more respect for the field.
And Daniel was simply awesome.
Trai_Dep
I think these kids are so terrible, because they hung out of the terrible drama of the British type of grown up, rather than the usual Disney steel. Props to them! I am looking forward to see what they become adults.
@maxandsampson:
I have always thought that Rupert Grint has been on of the best actors in the movies! His facial expressions are hilarious! That he has quoted comments saying such things... *sigh* It just makes me love him all the more!
Phialie
@maxandsampson:
What's with child stars acting sensibly?
Where are the drug problems, the drinking and driving, and the generally unprofessional asshole type behaviour?
Too much decent parenting, that's their problem.
FuriousD1
@maxandsampson: That is simply great.
@maxandsampson: Smart fellow. I think he'll win Battle of the Gingers in the long run.
I've worked with Dan a few times and he's one of the nicest actors working. Very, very smart.
trojanjustin
I remember back in the day these kids having to go through classes on how to not blow your millions, how to not become an entitled asshole, etc. (I believe Rowling made that a caveat of the movies so these kids would not end up ruined.) They seem to have worked!
Rupert Grint said something magically hilarious about Lindsey Lohan a few years ago; something like "I met Lindsay last summer and she talked about herself a lot. She said she was going to win an Oscar before she turns 25. I just kept thinking, ‘But you can’t act’. I haven’t met Paris and don’t want to either. She and Lindsay are the type of girls you need to stay away from."
maxandsampson
Damn Danielle and her 'gotcha' style.
Senor_Macho_Solo
I just hearted Daniel Radcliffe.
momof3wildkids
How many reporters would cut of their right arm for a interview like that? And I have to say DAWWWW as well, the guy is either genuinely nice or he is a very wise and smooth business man.
Anto103
I think these kids are so awesome because they hung out with awesome british theater types growing up rather than the usual Disney gang. Props to them! I look forward to seeing what sort of adults they become.
lms11
I met Rupert Grint a few years ago, and he was a nice, well-adjusted fellow as well. But Dan Radcliffe just melts my cold, black heart.
DAWWWW!!!!
:3
There, got it out of the way.
Now if the Potter kids could use their magic to make some of the less welcome stars disappear (GOODBYE SPENCER, GOODBYE PARIS BYEEEEE!!)
Wow, Daniel Radcliffe just went up 50 points in my book.
apollo89
This helps illustrate what I've loved about the whole franchise, and how it's been managed: there's a refreshing lack of cynicism among everyone involved. The movies tell the stories earnestly, without winking or self-reference, and there's an effort to present the whole thing with integrity. Surely this can't have come from a major Hollywood media conglomerate!
Oh wait, Warners did weasel out and delay the release of the latest installment by 8 months, just to make sure they had a real tentpole this summer. But other than that...
AWESOME experience for the girl, and he was masterful in handling both the press, and a very tiny girl.
Tammy Garrison
@HartleyNiobe: Do you really think that's the reason he chose to be especially polite to her? Because I guarantee you his publisher wants him to be equally if not more respectful to outside sources of publicity. He's pretty sure of a good review from his own publisher.
@MissNormaDesmond: I am drunk with power.
Not to be too cynical but Scholastic is the US publisher of the Harry Potter books.
HartleyNiobe