Jason Isaacs dishes on the time he decided to remain part of the Harry Potter universe
By Callum Gunn
Harry Potter wouldn’t be the same without Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, but it nearly wasn’t quite meant to be. He explains what kept him in the Harry Potter universe.
When the world was dealing with the major death at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Jason Isaacs had a big decision to make. Would he remain part of the Harry Potter universe or not? There was one conversation that made it impossible for him to walk away.
The life of an actor isn’t always stable. It’s important for many to think about the chances of filming multiple projects within a year. That’s especially the case for those who are involved in movies in a smaller way than the main stars. Isaacs was only in a small part of the Harry Potter world, even though he made a huge mark when he was introduced in Chamber of Secrets.
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When it came to film five, Order of the Phoenix, he needed to decide whether he would stick around. With filming a day here and there and sometimes for a month, he told New York Daily News that it made it difficult to do other projects. How would he know what his schedule was?
It didn’t help that Lucius Malfoy definitely wouldn’t be in the sixth movie, Half-Blood Prince, because the character was in Azkaban in the sixth book. So, that meant having to wait for the seventh. At this point, J.K. Rowling hadn’t finished the seventh book so he had no idea if or when he would be needed.
So, what made him stick around? You can thank Rowling, herself. While at an awards ceremony, the two had a chance to meet for the first time. Isaacs wasn’t going to ask about his character in the book because, well, spoilers! In the end, he decided to admit that he wasn’t doing great while his character was stuck in Azkaban.
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Rowling surprised him by putting him out of his misery. She shared that Malfoy was out of Azkaban in the first chapter. It was clear that he would be needed in the seventh (and then later the eighth) movie in the franchise, and Isaacs was sold.
Honestly, the movies wouldn’t have been what they were without Lucius Malfoy. His need to be wanted by Voldemort but that need to also protect his family couldn’t have been portrayed by anyone other than Isaacs. He was the character from the books, no questions asked.
What would have happened if Isaacs walked away? Would the character have been recast or would there have been some writing to work around the exit? Thankfully, it never came to either.
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Would you have liked to see the movie recast Lucius Malfoy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.