Warner Bros.Moaning Myrtle star Shirley Henderson has left Harry Potter fans in shock this week after revealing that she was 37 years old when she auditioned to play the 14 year old character, and it’s led to a rather surprising confession.
Right now, the Harry Potter franchise is going through an evolution as a team of new stars are taking on the infamous roles for the upcoming HBO series, which will introduce the Wizarding World to a new generation of fans.
But J.K. Rowling’s children’s books were first envisioned on the big screen in the early ‘00s, making stars out of its Harry, Hermione, and Ron cast Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
While they were all children at the time, Harry Potter fans might not know that Hogwarts’ bathroom-dwelling teen ghost was played by an actress in her late ‘30s.
Moaning Myrtle star’s real age sparks Harry Potter confession
Warner Bros.Moaning Myrtle star Shirley Henderson reminded us of this fact in a new interview with the Independent, saying she was 37 when she auditioned for Harry Potter. “The casting director said, ‘Go for it, and don’t mention your age,’” Henderson told the outlet.
This revelation has sparked plenty of discussion, with some fans sharing a surprising confession: they thought the character was played by Daniel Radcliffe in a wig.
In the new interview, Henderson elaborated, “When I was first asked for an audition, I didn’t know who Harry Potter was. But my sister, who was staying with me, had read the books.
“Still, I wasn’t convinced I could play a 14-year-old girl because I was in my 30s at the time. I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl – white shirt, black skirt, ponytail – thinking, ‘This is ridiculous.’
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“I did my wee bit for them and they thanked me. Months went by and I thought that was it, but then they phoned my agent, asked to see me again, and offered me the part… Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body and because she’s ghosty, there’s a kind of mistiness.
“You’re not looking closely at my face, so we could get away with it.”
In response to these comments, one fan wrote, “They were right because as a kid I used to think Moaning Myrtle was just Daniel Radcliffe in a wig.”
“I thought this was Daniel Radcliffe in a wig the whole time,” said another, while a third added, “Raise your hand if you thought she was Dan Radcliffe in a wig.”
A fourth chimed in, “She looked so much like Daniel I thought they just put him in a wig and a dress.”
Others are simply praising Henderson for nailing the role, with one writing, “Shirley Henderson playing a believable 14-year-old at 37 is still one of the craziest casting wins ever. She absolutely sold the character.”
Another commented, “If acting is believable, age is just number. She made it believable,” while a third stated, “Hard to believe she pulled that off so perfectly… proves how much range she really had.”
For more from Hogwarts, check out everything we know about the Harry Potter TV show, whether Cillian Murphy will play Voldemort in the TV show, and what you need to know about Harry Potter’s new Snape actor Paapa Essiedu.