Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch admits she once forgot she was actually in the magical franchise. Beginning with 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lynch portrayed Luna Lovegood, the kindhearted and quirky Ravenclaw who befriends Harry and joins him in his fight against Voldemort’s Death Eaters. The main Harry Potter franchise came to an end in 2011, but the entire property has stayed alive through a spinoff prequel series, multiple theme park experiences, a stage play, and an upcoming HBO show.
Lynch remains an active participant in the franchise and recently helped narrate the audiobook From the Wizarding Archive. In an interview with CNET about the project, the actor looked back on her time in the Harry Potter franchise and discussed how it remains such an important part of her life. The Wizarding World means so much to her that, at one point, she forgot she played a pivotal part in it. Lynch said:
I don’t watch the films as it’s too emotional, but recently, Prisoner of Azkaban was on and my partner and I started passively watching it, and I had that strong feeling of, “I want to be part of that world,” and then remembered, “Oh, I already am!” The fans have kept that world very alive in my life. I continue to try to find that sense of belonging in other communities, but none have proved quite so profound a match yet. So yes, I’ll always be happy to be a familiar face in the Harry Potter world.
How Harry Potter Has Remained So Prominent
Even Amid Controversy
Since the formal end of the Harry Potter franchise with The Deathly Hallows – Part Two, its reputation has evolved due to the controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling. Rowling has been criticized for views that many deem transphobic, to the point where some have called for an outright boycott of all things within the Wizarding World. Nevertheless, it remains a major part of pop culture, and that won’t change any time soon, particularly with HBO’s Harry Potter show adapting all seven books.
The
Harry Potter
show isn’t expected to premiere until 2026; no casting decisions have been announced just yet.
It is true that Warner Bros.’ own eagerness to continue investing in the Wizarding World is what has kept it alive, as seen through its attempt at creating another film franchise with the Fantastic Beasts movies. However, Lynch’s comments speak to a bigger reason for Harry Potter‘s continued status as a beloved property, and it goes beyond the fact that the movies are often playing on television. Though Rowling has proven a divisive figure, the world of Harry Potter has become a place of unity for fans.
The message of a young misfit finding his place in a magical world has long been an appealing one, and the themes of light versus dark have only become more relevant in recent years. Harry Potter is such an imaginative franchise, even one of its stars found herself wishing she could join it. Rowling’s views have pushed some away, but it is clear that the Boy Who Lived has a long future ahead of him, and Lynch will likely continue to be a part of it, even if she forgets sometimes.
Source: CNET
