In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Kenneth Branagh had a wonderful time playing Gilderoy Lockhart, and he has looked back on the excitement of the Harry Potter franchise and the chance to play one of the most entertaining characters in the series. With the series continuing to stay very relevant to audiences globally, Branagh’s statements give an insight into how he felt when he became a part of such a popular film universe.
The 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second in the Harry Potter film series, was in which Branagh played Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart, with an impressive reputation, a number of bestsellers and a lot of confidence, arrives at Hogwarts as the new teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Underneath all this facade was a very self-absorbed personality and he was both hilarious and frustrating.
In assuming the role of a character as different as many of his other characters, the casting of Branagh was a creative puzzle. Lockhart was no ordinary villain. He was a highly self-absorbed, overly confident, and almost self-obsessed personality. Always thinking about what people were thinking about him; he seemed to see his life as an amazing story.
When asked about his experience with the franchise, Branagh spoke about just how “sexy” the Harry Potter books were when they were being published. He said he didn’t have children of his own, but that he knew parents who had kids that were big fans of the books. He recalled children wanting to read the new releases and then reading them through word for word and how excited they were for them.
“I don’t have kids, but I had friends who had kids who, when the books were being published, would say, ‘We queued up to be at the bookshop when it opened at midnight for those books to be published, and then my 12-year-old spent two days reading it from start to finish,'” Branagh recalled.
Branagh’s passion for the world he was about to enter into was fuelled by that kind of enthusiasm. The Harry Potter books were already incredibly popular before the movies came out, and the movies spread the fame of Harry Potter to the cinema! When new actors were added to the cast scale had to have such a significant impact on the public that even supporting characters could be immediately identified.
Branagh was lucky to be given the chance to play Lockhart, he said. The character only appeared in one of the original movies, but was particularly memorable due to his exaggerated personality. Lockhart’s extravagant outfit, his immacate looks and boundless self-assurance early made him one of the more unique adults at Hogwarts.
Self-absorption was also a main theme of the humour targeted at the character. His autobiography, Magical Me, was an apt description of his sense of importance. Lockhart thought that he was the hero in all stories no matter what had occurred. His public persona was built on stories of heroism and great deeds, with the reality being much less remarkable.
When asked about why Lockhart was a great role to play, Branagh spoke of that particular aspect of the character. “That interest, that engagement with imaginations young and old, is incredible and I was fortunate to have written an autobiographical character, Magical Me, who was very very very interested in himself and fascinated him.
This made it easy for Branagh to inject his own fun and drama into his portrayal. Throughout his tenure, Lockhart would often create the impression that he was the most significant person present when it was apparent that he was not. His self-assurance sometimes seemed to verge on the ridiculous – creating a stark contrast to the more serious threats looming over Harry, Ron and Hermione.
The one thing that was most memorable about Branagh’s acting was his lack of taking his character and making him entirely one-dimensional. He was a very charismatic and confident character in the beginning, but what was not apparent was that he was a liar and deceiver. It couldn’t help but be an integral part of his story that he failed to live up to the heroic role he played in creating.
The role also enabled Branagh to appeal to a younger fan base, one that he hadn’t worked with before in many of his films. Branagh was recognised as a well-heeled actor and filmmaker, having established a successful career in Shakespearean acting, dramas, and big movie productions. The Harry Potter universe was a novelty and yet a big part of his career when he stepped into it.
In retrospect, it sounds like Branagh saw his stint in the series as a unique experience, not just another role in a series. The Harry Potter movies became indelible in pop culture and to have the name Harry Potter attached to many actors brought them a lifelong legacy with viewers worldwide.
He admitted that he still does have contact with some of his old colleagues from Harry Potter, but added a reflective answer when asked. He recognized that the actors would go on to take other walks as their careers grew.
I feel like it was a beautiful moment in my life where I got a chance to play a part; the world is wide and everybody’s done their various things.
A comment he made about large film franchises is interesting. Characters and performances can stay recognized and familiar for decades for the audience, and different for the actors themselves, who “go on to other things”. A film can be a fleeting piece in an actor’s career but can have a lasting influence on culture.
So, Branagh’s association with Harry Potter has been a part of his career legacy. Gilderoy Lockhart may have appeared in just one film, but the character’s flamboyant personality ensured that he left a strong impression. He was one of the more memorable teachers brought on at Hogwarts thanks to a mix of charm, arrogance and comic incompetence.
