Eddie Redmayne is opening up about his mysterious storyline inFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:Lets start at the beginning: When did you first hear about this project?
EDDIE REDMAYNE: I think it must have been two years ago.
Credit: Jaap Buitendijk
After your prestige roles, was going to a big, broad audience vehicle like this attractive or no?
When you start out acting, you dream of getting an agent and getting a job.
For years, you audition and you get what you’re free to.
Choice isnt something that you have much of.
And whats lovely is that J.K. Rowling has a staggering imagination to the thoroughness of the world.
There were so many elements to Newt.
I met her once, and she could talk back through everything, every intricacy.
Did Rowling help with anything specific?
You have to read each thing; you cant just skim it.
How would you describe Newt?
Hes a man with a passion, and his passion is animals.
His mother bred hippogriffs, and its the world hes most comfortable in.
Hes not particularly comfortable with human relationships.
Hes comfortable in his own skin, but he disconnects with people.
He has his own relationship with his animals.
Any special talents as a wizard?
Hes not an astounding wizard.
Hes used to being physically capable when dealing with animals.
And you studied animal trainers for this, right?
I had a few months to prepare.
How does one go about prepping for that?
Also, when you are tracking animals physically, he was showing me this thing.
[Redmayne demonstrates planting his feet starting with the side of shoes first.]
It created this slightly open gait that Newt has.
What does Newt think of America?
Hes kind of smelling it; its as if he were in the jungle.
Its totally alien to him to see somewhere thats filled with such vibrancy and people.
How was working on such an effects-driven film?
Ive done CGI films where the whole world is green, and you have no context.
Its the stuff kids dreams are made of.
What are your favorite beast?
There are two favorites.
The Niffler they have this wonderful love-hate relationship.
Its just incredibly aggravating and wonderful at same time.
Hes a complete nightmare, yet Newt gets off on his playfulness and single-mindedness.
And the Bowtruckle, Pickett, I love him.
There are many bowtruckles in the film, but Pickett has attachment issues.
Newt knows he shouldnt have favorites, but he loves Pickett.
Whats his least favorite?
Newt doesnt have a least favorite!
How many beasts does he keep in that case anyway?
Oh god, many.
I dont have a specific number.
We learned that he was kicked out of Hogwarts despite Dumbledore standing up for him.
What sort of backstory insight can you shed on that?
I cant talk about that, Im afraid.
Okay, whats been your favorite spell to cast as Newt?
Theres one which basically stuns someone and sort of makes them kind of go almost statue-like.
There is a dark aspect to it.
There is a kind of comedic quality to it, and sort of romance.
We have all these different genres, and yet somehow J.K. Rowling has managed to weave them together.
I think its surprising about how moving it is.
All I have when I read scripts is that instinct, and I was really moved by it.
So that should hopefully be surprising.
And now I just ruined the surprise [laughs].
Have you bumped into any of the cast from others films and gotten useful advice from them?
I bumped into Ralph Fiennes, and he was asking who was directing, and I said David Yates.
Hes an actors director, and that was lucky to know.
Whos the one person from the Harry Potter universe that you would like Newt to meet?
To meet in a future film?
Thats really an interesting question.
I think a Newt and Ron scene would be quite enjoyable.
I think those guys would find each other quite intriguing.
Ron and Newt would have quite a good time.
Im not sure a huge amount would be achieved.
Is there romance in the film?
He enjoys his solitude, and hes also spent a year out in the field.
So he really hasnt had to deal with people.
And when he arrives in New York, there are more people than hes ever imagined.
And theres Jacob (Dan Fogler) and Queenie, theres definitely a romance in the air there.
If it were up to you, where would you like to see Newt go in the sequel?
Cant like Newt swing through one of those?
It made me think that I would like to see Newt out in the wild.
Whats your favorite of the Harry Potter films?
My favorite film is probably the finale Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Probably a wise choice since Yates directed that one.
I found it so climatically satisfying.
What about a favorite Potter book?
In interviews you said you were into magic as a kid.
What was your favorite trick?
That was my favorite trick.
I bought it from a place from a place called Davenports Magic Shop and School.
And it didnt involved any skill, it was just a proper old-school trick.
Have you done the Pottermore house sorting yet?
You know what, I did the other day!
I literally was by myself at home and I yelped with excitement that I got Hufflepuff.
I was like, the magic exists.
