Anthony Boyle on Scorpius Malfoy: “He Has So Much Heart”

In a new interview with the Times, Anthony Boyle, who plays Scorpius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, spoke about keeping his head down, becoming Scorpius, and immersing himself in the role.

Warning: The interview contains mild spoilers for Scorpius’s character in Cursed Child.

While fans and reviews have been highly complimentary of the whole cast, it is Anthony Boyle’s portrayal of Scorpius Malfoy that has stuck out to many. On the attention, Anthony said,

My dad rings every day, going, ‘Hey, have you heard what they’re saying about you?’ But I’m trying to stay away from it. I don’t know if it’s good for you.

Anthony also spoke about becoming Scorpius and the secrets behind his transformation.

I was up for bleaching my own hair, but they told me I’d be bald within a matter of weeks. […] I love putting it all together — the wig, the odd, constricting trousers, the clunky shoes. You can feel yourself changing. But [he laughs] it all comes off again with the costume. I don’t take it home with me; I learnt at drama school not to be That Guy. I think it would make me unbearable to work with.

Anthony even adapted his voice  – he usually speaks with a deep Irish accent.

I played about with the voice a lot. I remember seeing this very posh English boy on the Tube with his mother. I was fascinated, so I moved and sat near him so I could listen. And I watched documentaries about young boys at Eton and other posh, private schools and became familiar with that tone, the resonance, the way they inflect.

Anthony reveals that he fell for Scorpius when he first read the Cursed Child script.

I just couldn’t turn the pages quick enough; I got so emotionally attached to the character so quickly. He’s such a gorgeous boy; he has so much heart, d’ye know?

He also touches on the popular theory among fans about Scorpius and Albus’s friendship.

The friendship’s purely platonic. I do think they love one another — that’s evident in what they do and say. But it’s not a sexual or romantic love.

Finally, Anthony comments on the way that fans have responded to him.

It’s a bit mental. All those people out there screaming and stuff. But I’m taking it all in my stride. It’s brilliant that people love the play; they love Harry Potter and the world and the characters that we’re playing. But I don’t feel like I’m Lindsay Lohan or someone. Scorpius is so different from the way I look and talk and behave, so it doesn’t happen too often. But I’ll always sign an autograph if I’m asked. It’s nice.

Have you seen Cursed Child yet? What do you think of Anthony Boyle’s portrayal of Scorpius? Let us know in the comments!