Harry Potter
franchise star Jason Isaacs recalls having to tell a woman to cover herself up after an awkward autograph request. Based on the book series by J.K. Rowling, the hit Warner Bros. fantasy franchise began with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, with Harry’s story culminating in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Isaacs joined the Harry Potter cast in the second movie in 2002 and appeared in most of the sequels, serving as Draco’s strict father and one of Voldemort’s Death Eaters.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Isaacs shares one extreme Harry Potter fan story, recalling that one woman wanted him to sign her breasts. The incident occurred at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando, and the actor remembers having to ask her to cover her chest up during the encounter due to the all-ages nature of the park. Check out Isaacs’ recollection of the event below:
I remember being in Harry Potter World in Orlando [The Wizarding World of Harry Potter], and the whole cast had gone. We’d been in blazing heat, signing autographs and taking selfies, and right at the end a woman standing there goes, “Will you sign my breasts?” and sH๏τ open her shirt. I go, “Madam, please stop. There’s kids everywhere.” She goes, “I have eight kids.” I said, “Well, what would they say?” They were standing alongside her going, “Sign them, sign them!”
That’s the amusing worst. The actual worst I’ve had is stalkers. Proper stalkers. Court cases and people dragged away outside my house by police and dogs. When I saw Baby Reindeer, I thought “I should have written it first.”
What Jason Isaacs’ Story Means For The Harry Potter Franchise
Sometimes Fandom Goes Too Far
It’s now been 24 years since the first Harry Potter movie was released, but Isaacs’ story speaks to the enduring love for the franchise from audiences even after all this time. Even though the Fantastic Beasts movies weren’t as well-received, the original eight films were all successful both critically and commercially, and they continue to occupy an important place in the world of pop culture.
While this enduring love is a promising sign for the upcoming Harry Potter TV show in the works at HBO, Isaacs’ story also speaks to the darker side of franchise fandom. Even though the majority of Isaacs’ fan encounters were probably positive, the negative experiences that he describes above are proof that fandom can go too far. This obviously reaches extreme levels when it comes to stalking and matters of personal safety, and Isaacs’ story certainly suggests that the franchise’s main stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, likely endured similar experiences.
No official casting announcements have arrived for the Harry Potter TV show just yet, but ᴅᴇᴀᴅline recently reported that actor John Lithgow is in final talks to play Dumbledore.
Our Take On Isaacs’ Harry Potter Fan Encounter
Isaacs Was A Great Lucius Malfoy
Though this fan clearly took her enthusiasm too far, Isaacs’ portrayal of Lucius was evidently a highlight of the Harry Potter franchise. Lucius features relatively sparingly in the eight movies, appearing more prominently in the later installments, but Isaacs always makes the character pop. While Lucius starts out as a fairly one-dimensional villain, Isaacs brings the character’s inner humanity and fear to the surface in later movies, adding nuance to the dangerous Malfoy family patriarch.
With the Harry Potter TV show set to introduce an entirely new cast for all the franchise’s characters, it’s unlikely that audiences will be seeing Isaacs back as Lucius. It remains to be seen who will be next to play the character, but Isaacs’ story certainly suggests that the next generation of actors joining the franchise will have to watch out for some wild fan encounters.
Source: The Telegraph
