Dan Fogler Tears Up During Wizard World Panel and Reveals Jacob’s Hogwarts House

This weekend, the annual Wizard World Comic Con‘s Chicago stop took place in Rosemont, Illinois, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, and a special guest from the Fantastic Beasts films was on the roster! Dan Fogler was available for autographs and photo ops and headlined a panel titled Acting the Supernatural with Dan Fogler, moderated by local morning show host Mo Lightning. He indulged fans by answering quite a few questions about his acting career thus far, sprinkling in a few cool facts.

1. He used to collect action figures.

Dan used to collect G.I. Joe and Star Wars action figures. He owns Jacob Kowalski toys, and he said that it’s surreal to come home and find his two-year-old gnawing on his head.

2. One of his favorite Fantastic Beasts memories is with Ron Perlman.

When asked what his favorite memory was from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he said it was when Ron Perlman congratulated him during the premiere.

The movie finishes, and Ron Perlman reaches over. I didn’t know he was right behind me. I get this big hand on my chest, and he’s just like, ‘Good job, kid, good job.’ There were so many pinch-me moments of making these movies.

3. Talking about Jacob’s relationship with Queenie makes him emotional.

Many fans have been wondering about the scene at the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, where Jacob is Apparated onto a bridge in front of Hogwarts. In the movie, Jacob visibly reacted to something, but what? Did Dan forget that Jacob wasn’t supposed to see Hogwarts? He went on to say that this is up to interpretation.

I wasn’t told much. I think they like to leave certain things open. Maybe Muggles are able to see Hogwarts at that period in the 1920s, ’30s, and something happened between then and now, so they had to cloak it. You don’t know if J.K. Rowling is doing that. She can do whatever she wants!

Then he elaborated on this question, becoming emotional:

I know I’m not supposed to see Hogwarts. I know that’s a thing. I know that as Dan. I’m going to make an acting choice here. I’m going to look this way. I was like, ‘Why is (Jacob) looking this way?’ I’m starting to cry right now. Okay, so he’s looking over there because he’s hoping that Queenie comes back. He’s shell shocked. He’s with these people, like, ‘What are we doing here?’ I was acting like he couldn’t see it. Newt walks off, and what I’m playing is not that I’m looking at Hogwarts, but [like], ‘Where is Newt going now?’

Then, when a fan pushed that Jacob seeing Hogwarts is canon, he laughed and said, “I don’t think that’s what I said at all. It’s open to interpretation!”

4. Colleen Atwood let him keep his socks.

When asked what prop he would keep from the Fantastic Beasts films, he revealed that Colleen Atwood let him keep pairs of socks and that he would take a wand because Jacob doesn’t ever get to use one. He also said that if he could keep a magical creature, it would be a Demiguise.

5. J.K. Rowling told him what Jacob’s Hogwarts House would have been.

Before I knew about Ilvermorny, and I feel like he’s in Pukwudgie, I think he’d be Hufflepuff. He’s a kind soul. I asked J.K. Rowling, and she said, ‘Oh, he’s in Gryffindor.’ No hesitation. I was like, ‘Really?’ She’s like, ‘He’s a soldier. He’s a warrior.’

6. To get into character, he brought croissants to set.

For the first Fantastic Beasts film, he stayed in an apartment above an Italian bakery and he would bring croissants to set. He tried to be more health-conscious while filming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, so he would work out with a trainer in the mornings and meditate.

Dan Fogler spoke for around 45 minutes about his film and television roles and gifted every audience member who asked a question one of the comic books that he has created. It was a fun panel that we will never forget! Wizard World Chicago will return August 20–23, 2020.