Eddie Redmayne was the center of the Fantastic Beasts movie trilogy for three blockbuster films. When shooting a magical franchise, the actors are certainly put through the ringer. Whether it’s working through the awkwardness of holding a magic wand for the first time, or reacting to CGI elements added later in the production process, it’s not always easy being in such a big, fantastical film series. However, Redmayne was able to imagine new ways to make the process as easy for him as possible, and once was able to get out of spending an entire film soaked in water.
The Danish Girl actor recently sat down with Vanity Fair to talk about some of the most important moments from his prolific acting career. When discussing his time playing Newt Scamander in the Harry Potter prequel series, Redmayne talked about how he once improvised a way to make one of the films easier on himself as an actor. Apparently, he magically prevented himself from being wet throughout the entirety of the film. The actor detailed:
You were also allowed a lot of freedom. I remember there being one day when my character was down in his case and there was a creature, The Thunderbird, that when he gets sort of stressed, rain pours from him. And I was meant to get drenched. I’m saying to David Yates, the director, ‘If I’m drenched, that’s fine, but I’m going to be drenched for the rest of the movie.’ And he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a thing.’ It was early on and I didn’t know how much you were allowed input as an actor and I was like, ‘There’s no chance I could just change my wand into sort of invisible umbrella is there?’
There are several spells in the Harry Potter universe that allow wizards to do all sorts of spells to get them out of difficult magical situations. An umbrella spell definitely isn’t out of the realm of possibility in the Wizarding World, and a very clever solution to being drenched throughout the movie. While Redmayne was clearly willing to be wet if that was required of him, as he is a professional, the solution was definitely a better option for everyone involved. Director David Yates was receptive to this, as Redmayne went on to say:
He was like, ‘Yeah, great do it.’ You could just see the Vis FX be like, ‘Oh, Ok!’ Throughout that experience, David, our director, allowed your input.
It sounds like Fantastic Beasts was a very collaborative set, which probably made the production process more enjoyable for everyone. When the director is flexible, it allows for a slew of creative ideas to be encouraged, including a magical umbrella keeping the star dry. Yates has directed several films within the Potter world, including the final four Harry Potter films. He must be very comfortable working within this universe which may make him more comfortable with actors taking creative liberties.
It’s unclear whether there will be more Fantastic Beasts movies in the future. Redmayne has stated he is unsure what the future may hold for his involvement in the franchise. In addition, Yates is seemingly taking on more original film projects, so it may be a while before Fantastic Beasts 4 hits theaters even if development does move forward. However, hopefully it isn’t too long before Redmayne and Yates work together again, as they clearly make a great team, and are wonderful collaborators.
Fans of Eddie Redmayne can check out his latest film The Good Nurse which is currently streaming exclusively for Netflix subscribers. In addition, those wanting to revisit the Fantastic Beasts movies can stream the trilogy with an HBO Max subscription. For more information on other films hitting theaters and streaming this year, make sure to check out our 2022 movie release schedule.