For Emmet Smith and Aidan Close, playing Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is about much more than stepping into the beloved wizarding world, it’s about bringing two new characters to life and building a friendship audiences have embraced.
The actors recently stopped by iHeartRadio Broadway to share their experience in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Close sharing that he finally read all of the Harry Potter books while preparing for the role. After growing up with the movies, reading the final book proved especially emotional, as its last chapter becomes the opening scene of Cursed Child. Close described the moment as feeling like a baton being passed through time. The pair also spoke about the unique challenge of playing characters who are new to the franchise. Rather than trying to recreate familiar performances from the films, they get to shape Albus and Scorpius in their own way. Their real-life friendship has become a major part of that process, with the actors admitting they constantly try to make each other laugh onstage although they rarely break during serious moments.
That chemistry is especially meaningful during the show's final scene, which Close called his favorite. After everything the characters experience, Albus and Scorpius get a moment simply to be friends, reflecting the show's larger themes of friendship, family and generations learning from one another. And then there’s Tom Felton, who has joined the cast as Draco Malfoy. Smith joked that Felton keeps reminding him he played Draco in the films, but onstage, he’s simply another beloved castmate.
Watch the full interview in the player above!