Public Issues (Demma Book 2)

The Today Show

Dateline: November 3rd, 2002 at 9:30 AM

Katie: The new, much-anticipated movie, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger: The Chamber of Secrets, based on J.K. Rowling's second book. A duo of child actors shines yet again, as Hermione Granger and Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have grown professionally and personally. They are both intelligent, talented, and the kids whose brain gets her best friend and love interest for 11 years, Harry out of many a jam as they all become better and better wizards. Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, good morning, good to see you two.

Dan and Emma: Good to see you too,

Katie: So, at age 12, you are twelve now?

Emma: Yeah, but Dan's 13, which is where I am heading soon,

Katie: Yeah, but now you are both veteran actors at this point. What was it like the second time around? How did it compare you to your first experience?

Emma: It was really good because I kind of enjoyed the second one much more than I enjoyed the first one, and I enjoyed watching the second one much more than the first.

Dan: I have to agree with whatever she says; if she said the second one was better than The Philosopher's Stone, I have to agree with her. There is no turning back.

Katie: Why is that?

Emma: I will handle this, Dan. Um, making wise, it is probably just because I need the cast, I need a crew, I need a director, let us face that I knew Rose, doing this out of the bucket.

Katie: (laughing) Yeah.

Emma: And, watching it, I thought it was much, much better. I think it is a billion times better than the first one, like a billion, a trillion,

Katie: I have heard a billion, a trillion; I have heard you say that you know when people ask you two about the movie, but why do you think it is so much better?

Dan: Just because, it is like, it is funnier, it is scarier, the special effects are really good, there are lots more characters, and with the first one, you kind of had to introduce everybody, and the second one, you just go straight into all the action and stuff, yeah, so.

Katie: And I know that as movies progressed, as we see, you know, all the J.K. Rowling books, transformed into movies, they get a little more sophisticated because you all get a little older. Obviously, the plot becomes more sophisticated, which begs the question: Do you think these are too sort of edgy or too scary for little kids?

Emma: I mean, we went in with a five-year-old, and I was the one who was carrying in the seat, but it kind of depends on the child, and whatever. Yeah, it depends.

Katie: Now, we have got, we have got a clip. I know of another scene, and this is when you two have figured out how to make a complicated potion. I got to get this right, to turn you and Harry into other students so that they can spy on their archrival, Malfoy. So, let us take a look.

Clip: "Hermione, why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight, in the middle of a girls' lavatory? Do you think we'll get caught?" Harry said, looking at Hermione with a puzzled look.

"I don't think so. No one ever comes in here," she said, mixing the ingredients.

"Why?"

"From what I can tell, this is Moaning Myrtle's hiding place. She's a ghost that haunts the toilets all the time. It's a mystery as to how she died."

"I wonder why?"

"And I hope you'll wonder sooner or later." said a screeching voice, coming from behind a bathroom stall. "I'm Moaning Myrtle, and I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about fat, ugly, miserable, moping, moaning, Myrtle?" she screamed, and she flew all the way down the ground and dumped herself inside a toilet.

"She's a little sensitive," Hermione said quietly.

End of Clip

Katie: I hate when that happens. I mean, Emma's kind of like the brains behind the operation, but Daniel is not far behind, which is great. But, don't you think for little boys and girls everywhere to see Hermione and Harry coming up and scheming and figuring things out so well?

Dan: Yeah, well, you know what they always say for girls and especially for Emma doing her job?

Katie: What's that?

Dan: Girl Power.

Katie: Yeah, right on. So what about some of the other special effects? It must be so fun for you two to do these movies, to kind of look at a green screen, and have to act and then see what Chris Columbus does in terms of all these special effects. Are you amazed once you see it on the big screen?

Emma: Yeah. It's kind of like this massive surprise when you see the family. You think of it as if I was like in it, and when you see the change, it's happening and everything; but I completely don't, and when I say this massive surprise, the special effects aren't that bad, they give you marks and stuff. So say, you get used to it.

Katie: Now, I know that you two said that you both have become quite friendly.

Emma: Yeah.

Katie: Which is nice, isn't it?

Emma: Yeah.

Katie: How do you do, how do you do this and also, keep up with your studies? You're obviously tutored on the set.

Dan: Yeah. Obviously, we have a teacher at three hours minimum and five hours max with a lot of schoolwork to do, and because it's one to one, you kind of get a lot more done and stuff. As far as keeping up with friends, it's a weekend, and we try to sleep as much as we can, and email's always really good.

Katie: Yeah, that is a great way to stay in touch with people. Meanwhile, it must have been sad for all of you when Richard Harris died; he played Dumbledore with you two.

Emma and Dan: Yeah.

Katie: I'm sure you two miss him a lot, and we're really, really sad to hear about that.

Emma and Dan: Yeah.

Katie: And then, Kenneth Branagh stepped in, right?

Emma: Uh, yeah, he's in the second film, and he's really good. I think he portrayed Gilderoy Lockhart really, really well.

Katie: Yeah, well, listen, it's great to see you two, and I know you two get a little break between this and the next movie?

Dan: Yep. We start around February or March, and we are really looking forward to that.

Katie: Well, you two deserve a little R&R, kids. Thanks for coming.

(show ends)