Shadowing Practice: Harry Potter Actors Share Rules They Hated Following - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?
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The Harry Potter cast may seem like they had the ultimate
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childhood living on set of one of the biggest film franchises of all time.
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But just like on screen, Hogwarts had some pretty strict rules they had to follow, no matter how much they hated them.
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Working for Warner Bros and J .K.
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Rowling was no walk in the park, and the cast have shared some of the bizarre rules they had to follow
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that even prevented them from being who they truly wanted.
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I'd had my hair long for 10 years.
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Imagine if for 10 years you weren't allowed to change your appearance.
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That's how it was for the young Harry Potter cast.
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It might not seem like a huge struggle, but Emma Watson explained
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that finally being free of Harry Potter allowed her to express herself in a way she'd never been able to before.
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In order to keep in character, she wasn't allowed to cut or dye her hair until she was in her 20s.
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I didn't get to experiment with dyeing and chopping off my hair like most teenagers.
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That's why when the franchise finally wrapped up, she chopped all her hair off and basically claimed back her individuality.
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I needed to...
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I needed to do something different.
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Tom Felton had the opposite problem.
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When asked what he'd miss the least about Harry Potter, he said, The least is going to be the hair dyeing situation the lack of blonde hair is a good thing.
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While Tom's hair is fairly light naturally, it just wasn't the sleek silver Warner Bros needed,
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meaning Tom was constantly dying his hair for 10 years before
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he was finally allowed to show us what was hiding beneath the dye.
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There was no riding a bike, skiing, or even sun tanning for this cast.
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Basically, they weren't allowed to put themselves at risk of injury.
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An injury for one of the main cast members would mean a huge delay in filming that the studio couldn't afford.
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So Tom Felton went to huge lengths to follow this rule, saying anytime he had off,
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he'd slap on the SPF 50 and sit under an umbrella with three caps on.
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I had to be careful not to get myself in any trouble.
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Just like being able to stop dyeing his hair, being able to partake in some adrenaline -inducing activities was freeing.
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We've all heard the horror stories of Disney kids having to keep up a certain image.
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Well, this was also applicable to the Harry Potter cast.
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The cast was controlled in terms of what other projects they were able to take on.
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That PG image was an important factor to keeping the Harry Potter films popular with a younger audience.
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Emma Watson said, For the first time, I really felt like an actress, after taking on roles post -Hermione.
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It was a real… I mean, it was an awakening.
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And if you were wondering why Daniel Radcliffe has taken on some very interesting roles since Harry Potter, this is why.
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You're special.
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You're special.
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We've all witnessed the hottest Hollywood stars dating after working on a project together, and then things taking a turn for the worst.
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Robston, anyone?
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But the Harry Potter filmmakers wanted to make sure that never happened.
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However, this is one of the on -set rules that weren't exactly followed.
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Tom Felton's on -screen wife was actually his girlfriend, and Bonnie Wright?
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She was engaged to Jamie Campbell Bower, who played Grindelwald for several years.
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Oh, to be young and to feel love's keen sting.
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Even the adult actors brought their relationship drama to set.
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Emma Thompson's ex -husband is Kenneth Branagh, also known as Gilderoy Lockhart.
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Wait, it gets worse.
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Their marriage ended because of an affair he was having with Helena Bonham Carter, Or, as Harry Potter fans know her, Bellatrix.
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Yikes.
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I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.
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This is light.
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There's no owls in the muggle world, but the Phelps twins revealed being on Harry Potter didn't mean skipping school.
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In fact, even when the cameras were rolling, they were studying.
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In the exercise books in the Great Hall set, we'd actually do our own schoolwork.
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It was the filmmakers' top priority to have the child actors focus on school despite the unusual life they were leading.
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Emma Watson was extremely grateful for this rule
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because it allowed her to pursue her education and film the franchise all at once, saying, I feel very lucky about the whole situation.
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There was no spilling the tea for this cast.
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Although the books were well known across the globe, the Harry Potter cast was sworn to secrecy by J .K.
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Rowling and the filmmakers.
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This is because J .K.
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Rowling would confide in the actors her plans for their characters in unreleased novels.
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Listen to the secrets she shared with Alan Rickman.
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I told him really early on that Snape had been in love with Lily.
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You'd probably think that Accio -ing a wand every now and then wouldn't be a huge deal for the actors, but they weren't allowed to take anything from set while filming the franchise.
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Did you take anything from the Harry Potter set?
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Technically, no. Those props were a property of Warner Bros.
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If they fell into the wrong hands, there was a fear they'd be sold on the internet.
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Rupert once tried to get his hands on the Triwizard golden egg, but the filmmakers literally tracked him down.
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However, by the end of the eighth film, multiple cast members had taken things like glasses, time turners, and wands.
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Despite not being allowed, substance abuse was something that plagued multiple people in the Harry Potter cast, Jamie Waylett, who played Crabb,
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was removed from the movies after he was arrested for possession of marijuana.
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Even Daniel himself struggled with some severe alcoholism while filming Half -Blood Prince.
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Can point to many scenes where I'm just gone, dead behind the eyes.
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The quickest way of forgetting about the fact that you were being watched was to get very drunk.
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Daniel was never removed from the films, but he worked to improve himself and returned for the last two films better than ever.
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This rule was set very early on, and it was all thanks to Tom Felton.
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I used to stuff a lot of chocolates and sweets inside the robe, and I remember they used to melt and they'd get stuck in there.
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The melted sweets were a nightmare for the costume department, and there were rumors that they even sewed Tom Felton's robes shut on top of the rule,
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just to make sneaking food on set even more impossible.
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One of the main cast members leaving the Harry Potter franchise could have been detrimental to the films.
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This is why Warner Bros made the cast sign long -term contracts.
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However, after their first one was up following the fourth film, they almost lost both Emma and Daniel.
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By the third film, I thought, if there's a time to get out, it's now.
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Luckily, they were able to work around Emma's school schedule
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and convince Daniel that Harry Potter was the best choice for his career.
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They managed to get them both to sign a contract, binding them to the next five films.
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Yeah, so I was just, I was very much in.
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Remember the pristine image the cast had to maintain that we mentioned earlier?
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Well, that didn't just pertain to their film roles.
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They had to be PG perfection to the public eye as well.
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Part of the thing is the expectation that you should just be delighted all the time.
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It may have seemed like the cast did a good job of this, but when the franchise was over, plenty of scandals were revealed.
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Daniel admitted that he had relations with Harry Potter fans while filming the movies, and was even accused of smoking marijuana alongside Rupert.
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However, their reps shot those rumors down immediately.
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Daniel does smoke the occasional roll -up cigarette, but he was not doing anything more than this.
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Worst of all may have been actor Nicholas Reed, who was arrested for indecent exposure.
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This rule comes with a hilarious story.
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While filming The Order of the Phoenix, Alan Rickman banned anyone from coming near his car because Rupert Grint
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and Matthew Lewis spilled milkshakes and ruined the interior of his old car.
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BRB while we imagine Alan taking the teen cast out for milkshakes.
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People will think you're up to something.
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The studio had amazing plans for Harry Potter, including casting Robin Williams as Hagrid.
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That is, until J .K.
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Rowling swooped in and was adamant that the entire cast be from the UK.
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Even Harry Potter was slated to be offered to American actor Liam Aiken.
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The only exception to this rule was Verne Troyer, who played Griphook.
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Although the young cast of Harry Potter got their careers started on set, they also shared the screen with some well -established actors.
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Although they all got along fairly well, it was an on -set rule that the children had to respect those that were older than themselves.
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In return, they got amazing advice and technique from some of the UK's best.
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I suppose you're the young ones now.
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It sounds like the Harry Potter cast grew up in an extremely strict boarding school, but tenfold.
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Of course, that boarding school was filled with fame, fortune, and magic.
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But life on set still seemed so constricting.
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Do you think the pros of working on Harry Potter outweighed the cons?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Harry Potter Actors Share Rules They Hated Following”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Potter, Harry, cast, film, rule. This video has 116 sentences and 1616 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:10. The speaker talks at a natural 176 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| filmmaker noun | A producer or director of films/movies. | |
| dye noun | /daɪ/ | A colorant, especially one that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is applied. |
| milkshake noun | /ˈmɪlk.ʃeɪk/ | A thick beverage consisting of milk and ice cream mixed together, often with fruit, chocolate, or other flavoring. |
| wand noun | /wɑnd/ | A hand-held narrow rod, usually used for pointing or instructing, or as a traditional emblem of authority. |
| robe noun | /ɹoʊb/ | A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature. |
| rumor noun | /ˈɹumɚ/ | A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth. |
| chop verb | /t͡ʃɑp/ | To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions. |
| spill verb | /spɪl/ | To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour. |
| melt verb | /mɛlt/ | To change (or to be changed) from a solid state to a liquid state, usually by a gradual heat. |
| marijuana noun | /ˌmɛɹɪˈwɑ.nə/ | The inflorescence of the Cannabis sativa plant, smoked or ingested for euphoric effect. |
| adamant adjective | /ˈæd.ə.mənt/ | Firm; unshakeable; unyielding; determined. |
| alcoholism noun | /ˈælkə(ˌ)hɔˌlɪzəm/ | A chronic disease caused by compulsive and uncontrollable consumption of alcoholic beverages, leading to addiction and deterioration in health and social… |
| awaken verb | /əˈweɪkən/ | To cause to become awake. |
| confide verb | /kənˈfaɪd/ | To take (someone) into one's confidence; to speak in secret with. |
| constrict verb | /kənˈstɹɪkt/ | To narrow, especially by application of pressure. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get along verb | To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. |
| keep up verb | To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating or falling. |
| roll up verb | To dominate by accumulating; to become dominant by accumulating. |
| sit under verb | To be in the habit of hearing the preaching or teaching of (someone). |
| work around verb | To bypass or circumvent (a problem or obstacle). |
| wrap up verb | To cover or enclose (something) by folding and securing a covering entirely around it. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?
- People will think you're up to something.
- I suppose you're the young ones now.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | weren't allowed · wasn't allowed · was finally allowed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have shared · has taken |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as weren't, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: milkshake /ˈmɪlk.ʃeɪk/, perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, occasional /əˈkeɪʒ(ə)nəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: marijuana /ˌmɛɹɪˈwɑ.nə/, alcoholism /ˈælkə(ˌ)hɔˌlɪzəm/, individuality /ˌɪndɪvɪd͡ʒuˈælɪti/, adrenaline /əˈdɹɛnəlɪn/, detrimental /ˌdɛtɹɪˈmɛntəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like filmmaker, dye, milkshake.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.