Popularly known for starring in Harry Potter as Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton became very well known among the fans of the franchise. However, playing the arch nemesis of the lead character did not favor the actor. The actor has been quite open about the side effects of starring in the role of an evil wizard, saying that growing up, he was not among the popular kids.
And things only got worse as he struggled to land any roles and opened up about feeling depressed after he concluded the fantasy adventure franchise, Harry Potter.
Tom Felton Felt Depressed After Harry Potter
During an interview with The Guardian, English actor Tom Felton recalled seeing an interventionist after his friends, family, and team met to stage an intervention. After that, he was sent to rehab. He shared that people around him knew that something was not right with him and something needed to be done.
“I remember a sense of betrayal, confusion at why nobody had pulled me to one side and said: “Here’s a suggestion – stop going out drinking all the time,” he recalled addressing his alcoholism. Felton also reflected how many believed that it must be the Hollywood lifestyle or the drinks.
While things were great for him, as he had a dog, a nice car, and a house in LA, the actor shared that all that did not make him happy. But he did not share it with anyone, as he was told that he shouldn’t complain because everything was great.
But the Feed actor had “a sense of feeling like something was not quite right with my life.” He claimed that he felt that way partly due to a “genetic [mental health] predisposition.” His life changed after going through that phase, and he is aware of what he has to do if things get as bad as they did again.
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Tom Felton Opened Up About His Struggles as an Actor
Tom Felton shared that once Harry Potter concluded, he had to face the fact that he was not very good at acting. He shared that things were very different for him to audition as an adult as he went through several scripts and auditions, many of which needed different accents and dialects, along with many other skills he knew nothing about. He shared,
“In LA it was getting on the circuit: three auditions a day, different scripts, different accents and dialects – skills I hadn’t put into practice, even though I was very experienced in other ways.”
Felton has portrayed the character of Draco Malfoy for a decade, and it followed him after that as well. He shared that he faced so many rejections. While the franchise made him a well-known figure, it also had its disadvantages.
“Before I’d even said a word, I could often see they were thinking: “Don’t have him. He’s the Potter kid,” he shared. However, he did not quit and decided to prove himself, and the 36-year-old actor stated that he was very grateful for that.
The Harry Potter franchise is available on Max.
