Ten Things I Learned at Jason Isaacs’ Q&A Panel at Awesome Con
Sunday, April 28 was the last day of Awesome Con in Washington, DC, and the day of Jason Isaacs’ Q&A panel. He was welcomed with a standing ovation and began the panel by going over the questions he gets asked most often: “Is Daniel Radcliffe a nice guy?” “What was it like working with Alan Rickman?” “Why do you always play villains?” etc. With that out of the way, he was looking for some innovative material, and panel attendees did not disappoint. Here are ten things I learned at Jason Isaacs’ Awesome Con Q&A.
1. He’s a fan of Lucius’s sleek hair.
First up, the most important question: mine, obviously!“If you had the chance to interview Lucius Malfoy, what would your first question be?” Without hesitation, Isaacs answered, “What conditioner he uses.” (It must be something magical to keep it so sleek. Perhaps… Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion? Could Lucius’s luscious locks be the result of a product invented by Harry Potter’s grandfather??)
2. He thinks playing good guys is boring.
To Isaacs, as an actor, characters are not villains. They see themselves as doing what is the right thing, so he portrays their thoughts and behavior accordingly. He did admit that playing the “good guy” would be terribly boring.
3. He insists that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is not the eighth Harry Potter book.
He has seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and he believes no one should read the script before seeing the play. A bit difficult for some, Mr. Isaacs, who do not live where the show is readily available! He also was insistent that the script is NOT the eighth Harry Potter book; it is merely an accompanying script to a great play.
4. He was happy to see Dobby die?!
When asked if he could eliminate one Harry Potter character from existence, he answered that he was quite happy to see Dobby die. This prompted much booing from the audience, and he then said he would delete Dumbledore from the series since the books would be so different without him.
5. He originally wanted to play Gilderoy Lockhart.
He originally auditioned for the part of Gilderoy Lockhart but lost out to Kenneth Branagh. Irritated, when asked to come and read for the part of Lucius instead, his mood during the audition was bitter – which he admitted may have helped him secure the part! Friends and family convinced him to take the role so they might have the opportunity to visit the set.
6. He’s a Slytherin through and through.
When asked how Lucius would color his nails and hair, Isaacs thought carefully before settling on purple for the nails and green for the hair (for Slytherin, of course).
7. He’s inspired by Hermione.
If he could play any other Potter character, he would choose Hermione. Why? His teenage daughters inspire him just like Hermione inspires so many. Plus, he is no stranger to wearing a wig.
8. He loved portraying Lucius’s fall from grace.
He felt lucky to play a character who really changed from the beginning of the series to the end. He described Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Lucius as arrogant and cocky, versus Deathly Hallows Lucius, who has been to Azkaban and returned to Voldemort’s inner circle humiliated, unshaven, and possibly an alcoholic.
9. He wanted to kill off Lucius in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
For Lucius’s last scene in the film series, Isaacs had an idea: Lucius, while agonizing over the decision between charging into the castle to fight alongside the Dark Lord or turning and walking away with Narcissa and Draco, would be trampled by Death Eaters and end up squashed in the courtyard. The plan did not work out, though, and ultimately, Lucius’s final shot was leaving the scene with his wife and son.
10. He believes that Draco is the real hero of the series.
Isaacs believes Draco Malfoy is the real hero of the story. To have been raised to be a bully, and then realizing he is in over his head to the point of not confirming the identities of Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Malfoy Manor, is impressive character development in Isaacs’ eyes.