Daniel Radcliffe had to play seven different roles for one scene

A symbol of sacrifice and solidarity, the Battle of the Seven Potters is a crucial sequence of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1broadcast Monday December 16 at 9:25 p.m. on TMC. For the interpreter of the unforgettable wizard, the scene was particularly difficult to shoot.

The penultimate feature film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 contains one of the most memorable scenes in the magical saga, known as the “Battle of the Seven Potters”. In order to protect the hero with the lightning-shaped scar from the Death Eaters, these dark mages in the service of Voldemort, who are planning an ambush on the eve of his seventeenth birthday, the Order of the Phoenix develops an ingenious stratagem. Six members of this secret organization, founded by Albus Dumbledore, ingest Polyjuice Potion to take on the appearance of the wizard and sow doubt among their enemies during their journey to the Burrow. Where is their real target? This clever plan leads to a striking sequence where seven “Harrys” are in the same room, each adopting a distinct behavior depending on the person in disguise.

Filming this scene represented a real technical and artistic challenge. Daniel Radcliffe had to play not only Harry Potter, but also his six doubles, imitating their respective personalities and facial expressions. “I was surprised to see, by wanting to copy Emma Watson (Hermione Granger, editor's note), that the facial expressions came immediately“, the actor had fun in the making of the film, but other characters required more takes.

A rigorous game

This performance required precision and subtlety, with rigorously planned placement using Motion Control technology. This ensured perfect consistency between the interactions and movements of the different “Potters”. Once the facial expressions were captured, they were digitally integrated to reinforce the characters' transformations into Harry. This meticulous process made it possible to make the passage where the faces change thanks to the magic potion visually convincing. “It was a balancing act, exhausting but rewarding“, underlined Daniel Radcliffe.