Matthew Lewis, known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, recently opened up about his choice to take an unconventional path after finding fame at a young age.
The 35-year-old actor recently attended the Rhode Island Comic Con.
Speaking at the Comic Con, (via People), Lewis joked about the struggles child actors face as they grow up in the spotlight.
Lewis, who became a household name at age 11 when he joined the Harry Potter franchise, spent a decade shaping his career through the series.
During a panel discussion, he touched on the unique pressures of early success.
“We’re very good at hiding those stories,” he joked at first, before admitting, “It was tricky” to handle the shift from being a child actor to growing into adulthood in the industry.
The All Creatures Great actor also shared that he felt “a lot of trepidation” about whether he “could actually make it” in a much larger, more competitive environment.
He added, “Although, that said, I was very excited about the prospect. I have quite a short attention span, so that’s probably why I’ve never chosen a real career.”
“[After] 10 years in Harry Potter, I was ready to do something else and also was not keen to do anything that was going to lead to multiple series.”
Referring to a question about how the Harry Potter cast avoided the typical struggles faced by child stars, he explained, “Frequently, you hear many stories of how they were the sole actor in that movie and having to carry that movie on their own and all of the pressures and anxieties that come with that.”
“Whereas, we were all kind together.”
His career now focuses on projects he feels passionate about rather than just chasing commercial success.
Lewis has received praise for recent work in shows like All Creatures Great and Small, where his more mature roles have been well-received.
Since Harry Potter, he has appeared in several TV shows, including The Syndicate, Happy Valley, Girlfriends, and All Creatures Great and Small.
On the big screen, he was part of the film adaptation of Jojo Moyes’ bestselling novel Me Before You, alongside Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, and starred in the 2018 comedy thriller Terminal with Margot Robbie.
