Bonnie Wright Talks with OKREAL About Life, Acting, Directing

OKREAL has posted a new interview with Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley). In the interview, Bonnie openly talks about leaving film school, life after Potter, getting used to the New York way of life, and acting.

On leaving film school and Harry Potter behind, Bonnie says,

I graduated film school 3 years ago. Since then, slowing down and figuring out what I actually want to do has taken a lot longer than I thought it would. Harry Potter was 10 years of my life, and when you finish a huge chapter like that, it’s this exciting new phase where you want to do new things. So then you start doing the new things, and you begin questioning yourself, thinking—is this truly what I want to be doing? When I started Harry Potter, I was fresh and young, and in a way, when I finished I was too. Because it’s such a particular world. It was one of those things you thought you had perspective on but really didn’t until you were out of it.

Bonnie further says,

Stepping back has been hard, but it’s also been the most rewarding thing I could have done. I’m learning to let go of what other people think and have also just been clarifying things in my own head.

Bonnie spoke about how the film industry has changed since she started working on the Potter films:

When we began the films, the entertainment industry was a very different place. A celebrity was someone who[m] you respected for their craft, and there was a simple enjoyment in watching movies. By the time we had finished, celebrity culture had completely changed. The industry had tripled in popularity, and social media had become a huge thing. I’m quite thankful that the culture was in the former space when I started.

Bonnie also talked about her directing work and how she has learned on the job:

With my directing work, I’ve learned most by actually doing. I spoke with some established directors about whether I should do my master’s, or keep making short films and learn that way. They said, [‘]you know what? Just keep making, just keep doing.[‘]

Bonnie further talks about how important it is to constantly keep learning:

With any career, creative or otherwise, there’s always more to learn and always room to evolve. It’s not about finding a finite point when you’re all done. It’s a continuum: nothing is ever secure or fully realized. People might think because of my experience, I’m all set. But just because you’ve had that kind of privilege, doesn’t mean it’s always going to work in your favor.

Finally, Bonnie touches on the feature film she is writing:

The idea of the destination and the reality of the destination are often very different. It’s a theme in this feature that I’m writing, where the main character is living in New York City. It’s not about the place she’s going; it’s the moments in between that she’s missing because she’s too busy thinking about how she’ll feel when she gets there.

After that short teaser of Bonnie’s feature film, we can’t wait to learn more – and hopefully we will soon. You can check the full, lengthy interview here, where Bonnie has much more to say on the film industry and life in general.

What is your highlight of the interview? Are you looking forward to learning more about Bonnie’s feature film? Let us know in the comments!