Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Crimes of Grindelwald / Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Film / FB Cast / News

Dan Fogler Talks His “Fantastic Beasts” Experience: “It’s a little magical. Pun absolutely intended.”

by Gretchen Roesch · April 17, 2018

Kristian Harloff of Collider sat down with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’s Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) to discuss everything from Star Wars to his graphic novel Brooklyn Gladiator to Fantastic Beasts. You can check out the video of their fun conversation on Collider’s website or download the podcast of it on iTunes, but here are some highlights from the interview if you don’t have time to watch or listen.

Harloff started by asking Fogler how he became involved in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Fogler explained that he and his wife had just had a baby and he was thinking, “I need some stability.” Fogler discussed his audition process and how he felt good after each audition, which included what felt like “five million screen tests.” He got the call from his agent saying he’d booked the job while at San Diego Comic-Con, which he was attending to promote his book Brooklyn Gladiator. Dan said he “started floating” when he heard the news.

Harloff asked Fogler if he had to do any screen tests with the other actors before being cast.

I tested once with Eddie [Redmayne] and with Allison [Sudol]. [Eddie and I] finished the scene and it felt good, and no one said cut, and we just started improvising about our time in the war, and he’s like, ‘Do you like any animals?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I used to have a puppy as a kid.’ You just saw it, the chemistry is working.

Fogler also discussed what it was like to meet and work with J.K. Rowling. He said his first meeting with her was “kind of sprung on [him] the first day of rehearsal.” Dan saw a huge stack of papers the first time he met her and Rowling said, “This is everything.” Dan took this to mean she had all five Fantastic Beasts movies on those papers. Does Rowling already have the entire movie series written, or if not written, outlined in detail?

Dan told a great story about how Rowling told him Jacob’s arc in the series.

I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is the greatest story I’ve ever heard’ and then on [the set of the second movie] I saw her and I was like, ‘Hey, I just wanted to check in on that story arc,’ and she’s like, ‘Oh, it’s all completely changed.’

Harloff asked if Rowling told him the changes.

No. I almost don’t want to know. It’s been marinating in her incredible, many-pocketed mind for decades now, this story, so she’ll come up with a storyline and just rewrite it.

Harloff expressed sadness that Colin Farrell wouldn’t be making an appearance in the second movie. Although Dan has a theory “that he’s locked away somewhere,” Harloff pointed out that, since Dan has a theory about it, it most likely means Farrell won’t be making a surprise appearance.

Harloff asked Fogler about his experience with director David Yates during the filming of the first movie. According to Fogler, Yates explained to the cast that, since there were no books on which to base the movies, the team was still finding the characters, leaving Fogler and the other actors with a lot of freedom. Dan said,“From day one, they said yes to 99% of my improvs and suggestions.” It was his idea to have a picture of Jacob’s grandmother in his bedroom, and some of his improvised lines made a huge difference:

‘I want to be a wizard.’ That was like the whole ad campaign for the first movie. That was improv!

Fogler and Harloff also talked a bit about the new Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer and how we see wizards Apparating onto the Hogwarts grounds. Fogler explained that moments like this are exciting because fans will see that “this is the origin of everything [in Harry Potter].” Could Dan be hinting that we will actually see why this rule exists in Harry’s time?

Dan talked about his parents and how happy he was that they “got to see [his] success with the Fantastic Beasts films.” On his involvement in the series, Dan said, “I just thank my lucky stars every day. It’s a little magical. Pun absolutely intended.”

Social:

  • Next story The Joys and Perils of Collecting “Harry Potter” Merchandise
  • Previous story Seven Times Fred and George Showed Us How to Deal with Problems

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

July 2025

Mon, Jul 7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 movie (London premiere)
Recurs yearly

2011

Tue, Jul 8

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book
Recurs yearly

2000

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book (UK)
Recurs yearly

1999

WWoHP Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando's anniversary
Recurs yearly

2014

Wed, Jul 9

David O'Hara's birthday
Recurs yearly

Albert Runcorn

Thu, Jul 10

Fiona Shaw's birthday
Recurs yearly

Petunia Dursley

Fri, Jul 11

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie (US)
Recurs yearly

2007

Sat, Jul 12

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie (UK)
Recurs yearly

2007

Harry and Dumbledore travel to get Slughorn
Recurs yearly

1996

Harry officially learns he inherited Grimmauld Place and Kreacher
Recurs yearly

1996

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

The curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was inspired by the Spinal Tap drummers dying in bizarre circumstances.

Potter History

November 17, 2004 – Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves temporarily steps down for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; is replaced by Michael Goldenberg.

Potter Quote

“It was necessary. He’s extremely powerful. We’ve had to change his guard three times – he’s very… persuasive. So we removed his tongue.”

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.