Matthew Lewis had to use “vile” cheek pads

Embodying one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series was not an easy task, to begin with, but Matthew Lewis has now revealed how it was a bit tougher than we all realized. 

Speaking to Metro, Lewis revealed the process he had to undergo to get back into the character of Neville Longbottom. In between shooting the second and third movie, Lewis had grown quite a bit, and had lost some considerable weight.

Lewis was assured that he would not be recast, but they still had to find a way to make his cheeks look as they had in the previous two movies. To do this, they first tried stuffing them with cotton wool. When that didn’t work, they tried using a sponge from the creature effects. Lewis described it as “vile” since the sponge would absorb all of his saliva and be disgusting by the end of the day.

While the issue of growing up and losing weight might have been a problem during the early years, it worked wonders for Lewis in the later films. Lewis became one of the more popular actors in the series in the last few movies as fans realized how much he had grown up and how different he looked compared to the early movies, with several memes pointing out the transformation.

Even with the cheek padding, and also fake teeth he had to wear, Lewis looks back on these times with fond memories. While he did them begrudgingly back in his teen years, he says he would do it again immediately now.

Did you know Lewis had to wear the padding? Let us know in the comments below!