Harry Potter is one of my go-to comfort movies when I need a dose of nostalgia. I own a replica of Hermione Granger's Yule Ball earrings, and my Harry Potter Funko figurine sits in my room at all times — including during my Zoom call with Tom Felton. He's excited about Funko's newest collab with Kinder Joy, but is maybe less so about my Harry Potter house scarf, which confirms I'm a Ravenclaw instead of a Slytherin like him ("That looks blue to me," the actor, who played Draco Malfoy, jokes).
He might tease his cast mates on Instagram for the fact they're also not in Slytherin, but rest assured, it's all in good fun. "There's definitely a group chat, I'm pretty sure it's titled Potterheads," he says with a smile. "It sounds cheesy [but] we do feel like a family. So it's great to see any of them. I golf with the Weasley twins [James and Oliver Phelps] a lot. When I'm lucky enough to see Dan [Radcliffe] in his new plays, it's always great. Rupert [Grint] lives around the corner from me in London, so I see him quite frequently."
Image via Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
Reconnecting with the rest of the cast of Harry Potter isn't the only thing that transports Tom Felton back in time — seeing his brand new Funko does too! "Usually when someone...shows me a new version, I'm just like, 'Where did you get it?'" he says. "There's one of Draco in his Quidditch outfit, which immediately takes me back to my broomstick days. But they all have their own unique little charms."
Funko is currently collaborating with Kinder Joy, which Tom and I agree feels like the muggle version of the Hogwarts Express trolley ("You get excited about the chocolate, and then after that, you get the Easter egg surprise inside"). He also says both brands bring up plenty of memories from his 10-year stretch at Hogwarts.
Image via Warner Bros.
And as it turns out, Tom Felton and I have very vivid memories around the same movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. My local children's museum hung larger-than-life posters promoting the film, and I remember feeling how much emotional weight this particular movie held, especially as we neared the end of the story. The 2009 film catapulted the series into its final two installments, and played a huge role in Draco Malfoy's arc.
"[At the time,] we weren't privy to where our characters were going so all I did really was just focus on who [Draco] was in that particular film," Tom says. "Which is why shooting Half-Blood Prince was probably the most enjoyable. To see the the reason why Draco is, well, the way he is, I thought it was very impactful and I'm amazed at the subtleties that fans pick up on now about his story. It's a very multi-layered character."
Image via Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
While Tom Felton says Draco's not a good guy, he also believes the character doesn't want to end up like his father. "I think he would rather make peace than start another fight," he tells me. "He's done enough fighting...I think it's time that he chilled out a bit."
For his own relaxation, Tom recently made a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden (where the cast filmed the series) "just to sort of pop in and see home."
"I spent like three hours...just walking around and seeing how much people enjoy it," he says. "There was a teenager with her mom taking a picture of my costume and I couldn't help but photo bomb thinking it was, you know, a nice surprise or it would be funny. But I was quickly ushered [away] by her mom saying, 'Would you mind?' So I thought that was quite funny."
Even if you haven't made the trip to London to see the Studios in person, you probably recognize them from Max's Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special, where Tom Felton reunited with the rest of the Harry Potter cast.
"I think the 20-year reunion was the reminder of, crikey time flies," he continues. "We're all bona fide adults now, but still feel like kids, I think, at heart because as soon as you put us all in the room together, we just go back to who we were when we first met. So that's a nice feeling."
Rapid Fire With Tom Felton
Image via Tom Felton/Instagram
Brit + Co: You record your own music, but what are you listening to right now?
Tom Felton: It changes day to day. I mean, my staple answer is the Beatles because I never get bored of it. George Harrison being my — well, not favorite Beatle, you can't really pick one, but you know what I mean — I listen to a lot of his stuff. I love Ed Sheeran's work, huge fan of him. I recently discovered a new artist, Ren. Really think he's very skillful so I've been enjoying his music too.
Brit + Co: Harry Potter is our ultimate comfort watch, what's yours?
Tom Felton: I wanna say something that [Harry Potter director] Chris Columbus has done, like Home Alone is a very comforting film. I mean, even The Borrowers, to be fair, was pretty cool. The Simpsons was a big one.
Image via Warner Bros.
Brit + Co: Would Draco get along with any of the other characters you've played?
Tom Felton: It depends how old Draco was, but long answer short, no. I played the Boogie Man in a film called Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting and he's a bit of an evil rock star. So, maybe they would meet up once a week to play chess together.
Brit + Co: Who's your dream future co-star?
Tom Felton: I mean, I'd work with any one of my fellow wizards and witches again. I suppose off the bat I would say Jason Isaacs just because I love working with him and you learn so much [from him]. But I think also there is a secret desire for me and Daniel [Radcliffe] to be in a film together where he plays the villain and I get to be the good guy.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lead image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
