Tom Felton Called Emma Watson An Idiot To Land The Part Of Draco Malfoy

The actors who portrayed the kids in the "Harry Potter" films have been connected for so long, it's hard to imagine that there was a time that they didn't know each other. Just like any other production, the start of the franchise kicked off with an audition process, giving producers and director Chris Columbus the seemingly impossible task of choosing which of the young actors would become immortalized in their eventual famous roles. While promoting his new memoir, "Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard," on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Tom Felton spoke about writing the book and his experience making the films, as well his first audition.

For Felton, the process of writing a fully fledged-out memoir didn't come naturally. In fact, he claims he needed a push from his old friend, Emma Watson, who ended up penning a forward in his new book. "Emma was a big inspiration for me to finish the book, actually," he revealed at the 20:39 mark of the podcast episode. "A lot of these [stories] started from scraps of paper. I'd come off stage from a Comic Con, which we've seen each other at as well, and the stories would flesh out a little bit more in my head so I'd quickly take that to a piece of paper." 

Felton went on to explain that after Watson read those pieces of paper, she advised him to continue writing more. And as great as it was for Felton to get the push he needed, his very first interaction with Watson, as he mentions in his memoir and on the podcast, was much less friendly.

After countless interviews and an HBO Max reunion, it's known that many of the actors from the "Harry Potter" films are still close today. One bond that has held strong is the one between Tom Felton and Emma Watson. However, when Felton first auditioned for the part of Draco Malfoy, his initial interaction with Watson was a bit harsh. At around 17:20 of his "Happy Sad Confused" appearance, Felton talked about how Director Chris Columbus and producers left about 20 kids together, with a boom microphone still positioned over their heads. Felton decided to stay in character. "So, I knew exactly what was going on," he recalled. "​​And this little brushy-haired girl came up to me and was like, 'What's that?' I looked at her very arrogantly and said, 'It's a microphone, you idiot. What do you think it is?”"

That nasty snap at Watson surely contributed to Felton landing the part. However, Watson's reaction obviously did her some good as well. As Felton exclaimed, "It also turns out I saw that girl two months later and her name was Emma Watson." Although his nasty remark contributed to him landing the part of Draco, it definitely wasn't a good first interaction with his new co-star, he added. 

Well, not only did that audition help land the two performers their roles, but it eventually led to a post-franchise friendship. In fact, in parts of his memoir, Felton explains that both he and Watson have felt a romantic spark for each other over the years. However, a "more-than-friends" relationship has yet to ever develop. One thing is for sure, calling Watson an "idiot" again probably won't help that type of connection from ever happening.