Harry Potter's Freddie Stroma photographed by Mitchell Nguyen McCormack for Da Man magazine.
From Da Man.
British-born up-and-comer Freddie Stroma is not one to shy away from a challenge. He was doing a neuroscience degree at University College London when he landed the role of Cormac McIaggen in the uber-popular Harry Potter series. The role forced him to give up his studies, but once his time at Hogwarts ended he returned to UCL to complete the difficult degree, saying in an interview it “would have been a shame to just throw it away.” Since then he has taken on films that have put his musical skills to the test, namely the modern fairy tale A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song and Pitch Perfect, a comedy about college a cappella groups that comes out in September. His next movie, The Philosphers, brought him to Jakarta, which he told us came with its own unique set of challenges…
Freedie talked to Da Man about his career and Harry Potter.
When did you first decide to seriously pursue acting as a career?
Well, I managed to get an agent at the age of 18, the summer before I started university. I was juggling my degree and different acting jobs and once I graduated, I decided to carry on full time.
How did you snag the role of Cormac Mclaggen in Harry Potter series? Did getting that role change your life?
It was a standard call from my agent for an audition. I auditioned with the casting director and the tape was sent to the director David Yates. About three weeks later, I was told I had a callback at the studio. I went for the read with David and then once the scene was over, he told me in the room that he wanted me to do it. I was completely shocked, also because I didn’t know what I was going to do about the final year of me degree. Harry Potter was a much bigger project than my previous jobs. So it was a big step in the right direction. Personally it didn’t affect me too much. Some attention on the internet was about the most of it.
If you could learn one spell from Harry Potter and use it in real life, which would you choose?I think it would probably be “accio”. I would love to be able to summon objects. Although, I would probably end up using it to just get my phone when it rings or to get the TV remote. With great power comes great responsibility.More at Da Man.
