It’s impossible to be alive in the 21st century and not have experienced some part of Potter-mania, or at least to have been aware of it going on as a buzz in the air around you. The Harry Potter books and films have become probably the most influential and widely-read children’s books ever. The films took this series, hired the top tier of British actors, and brought it to life. For anyone who isn’t aware (and if there is anyone – how??) Tom Felton played one of the most love-to-hate characters on screen, Draco Malfoy, the bully and antagonist to Harry Potter’s tragic hero.
Despite the on-screen hatred Felton embodied, I’ve heard that he was actually a lovely person in real life. I didn’t know much about him beyond this vague reputation, and I was curious to find out what he would have to say about being one of the most famously disliked characters in recent film, and what it was like to spend his formative years with bleached blonde hair and a near-permanent sneer. I didn’t expect much. But I got much more than I anticipated from this reading experience.
Felton walks us through his career, starting with his entry into acting, and ending with life after the Harry Potter films. But he doesn’t just tell behind the scenes stories about life on set and what the other actors were like. His tone is one of introspection as he looks back on not only what happened and who he met, but the impact each new experience or person had on his life. He has a strong family background and discusses how vital his three older brothers (who never had any qualms about putting him firmly in his place – below them) were in providing him with normality even in the midst of burgeoning fame. He also discusses how important his time away from the set was, and talks about how much more difficult it was for the three main actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) who lived “in a Harry Potter bubble” and lacked that time in normal life. I was particularly impressed by his discussion of his relationship with Emma Watson, and his awareness of the additional challenges she had to deal with being both the youngest of the main actors, and the only girl. He clearly has spent time observing what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated industry, and the strength of character it takes to survive – or thrive – in such an environment when you’re nine years old.
Another part of the book that really hooked me was Felton’s ability to capture the essence of some of the actors he worked with – living legends, all of them – and share some stories that humanize them, but at the same time show how humble, wise and talented they were. Alan Rickman, R — ACTORS– Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith and Jason Isaacs are all described not only in what they were like to work with (and how intimidating some of them were), but also the lessons he learned from his time with them. He might have seemed like a young punk who wasn’t that far off the character he was playing, but I would hope that any of them who read this book will realize that underneath that surface persona, Felton was actually taking in every lesson they taught the kids on set and is still trying to live up to the wonderful examples they set him.
The book concludes with Felton’s move to the US, struggles with anomie and identity crisis that led to alcoholism and rehab, and how he managed to face his problems and learn from them. He discusses his family history of mental illness, what its recurrence feels like, the importance of asking for help when it is needed and his hope that others will read his account and perhaps feel like they can do the same.
It’s not a perfect book. It’s not going to top my favourite memoirs list or hit my top books of the year. But it did impress me with the range and depth of his narrative, and I think anyone who loves the films or books will find it really interesting, as well as anyone who just wants to read what it’s like to grow up on (and off) film sets and where that road can take you. I left this book feeling like I had gotten to know Felton a little bit, and that I am glad to have done so.
From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen in this #1 New York Times bestseller.
Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.
Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.
Tom Felton’s Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard. – Goodreads
Book Title: Beyond the Wand
Author: Tom Felton
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Released: October 18, 2022
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Celebrity, Growing Up
Pages: 288
Date Read: February 24, 2024
Rating: 8/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.30/5 (105,394 ratings)
