Ezra Miller Discusses Credence’s Character Development in “Crimes of Grindelwald”

Ezra Miller gave Japanese Fantastic Beasts fans a fabulous treat with an extensive 15-minute interview about his character, Credence, and his role in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The interview was conducted by Cinema Today and uploaded to YouTube. In the two YouTube clips (which can be seen below), the questions are captioned in Japanese, but all of Ezra’s answers are in English.

Ezra begins by discussing where Credence is now at this point in his life. The last film left Credence broken and hurt from child abuse and attempting to control the Obscurus within him. In Crimes of Grindelwald, Credence has been “liberated” from those “restraints” and is searching for his identity for the first time.

So there’s liberation and there’s the confidence that comes with that, but then there’s also, I think, a massive sense of uncertainty and isolation that comes with casting off everything that’s made up who you are for the first part of your life. And so I think he’s also very confused and is really seeking his identity because everything he was taught, everything that he was raised with, was a lie that hurt him and held him back.

Now that Credence knows more about himself and the nature of the Obscurus within him, he must learn how to manage his power. In addition, Ezra informs the audience that we get to learn a bit more about the nature of an Obscurus.

It’s interesting. So what we explore a bit is the nature of an Obscurial and an Obscurus and how or when they can truly be killed or hurt. 

We definitely are beginning to see a change in mood and tone from the first film to the second. As J.K. Rowling mentioned in an exclusive Crimes of Grindelwald feature on Sky Cinema earlier today, the audience can expect the second Fantastic Beasts film to have a very different feeling. With Cinema Today, Ezra discussed how his character’s darkness begins to affect other characters in Jo’s screenplay for the second film.

It’s present in the script and you can really feel it when you’re working. A lot of the material is working with very complicated ideas, scary premises… I think those shadows spread to other parts of the world in this film. But it’s been fairly creepy for me the whole time but now some of the other characters have to reckon with the creepiness.

The interview continues in a second video, which begins with Ezra explaining how he fell in love with the Harry Potter series. The change in his facial expression and tone of voice – the joy he has when talking about his favorite series and now acting in part of the wizarding world – is touching.

Ezra continued with his view on the anticipated Grindelwald–Dumbledore dynamic. What fans are curious to see is how this dynamic between these two powerful characters is played out on-screen.

I think that people who read the Harry Potter books and watched those films know the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald was a very complex one, a very intimate one, a close one… Then at some point their path, their beliefs, started to diverge and we get to explore more about that as this series progresses.

If anyone is still confused about the odd relationship and power play between Credence and Graves in the last film, don’t worry, Ezra spoke on that as well.

I think the relationship between Credence and Graves… is a complex one in which they both need and want things from each other and Credence is really, ultimately, being exploited… Grindelwald actually is really taking advantage of Credence’s vulnerability, Credence’s need for love, and to be recognized and to be seen in the power of his differences from the rest of the people in his world and his life.

Ezra briefly talked about how amazing it was to work with Claudia Kim and build a relationship between their two characters in Crimes of Grindelwald – but of course, he couldn’t say anything other than that.

We cannot wait to see what the next film has in store for Credence and the others; we’re so glad his character survived the first film!