Eddie Redmayne may be the star of the new J.K. Rowling written "Harry Potter" spinoff film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," but the British actor revealed he wanted to be in the original film series that starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The Academy Award-winning actor recently revealed that during the early stages of his acting career he was "desperate" to land a role in the "Harry Potter" film franchise.
"For years I was always like, in the 'Harry Potter' films, there was a whole ginger family, and I never got an audition. And I was like, come on, it's outrageous!" he explained to ITV, according to the Daily Mail. "So I was desperate. Every actor in England was in the Harry Potter films, but I never got the call. Now I'm having my moment."
Redmayne is starring in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as Newt Scamander, a magizoologist from Britian who comes to New York City in 1926, as HNGN previously reported. The "Fantastic Beasts" screenplay was written by Rowling and is based off of her 2001 encyclopedia of magical creatures from the wizarding world. The new series takes place 70 years before Harry Potter stepped foot inside Hogwarts.
Redmayne previously spoke about the pressures he felt taking on the role of Newt and stepping into the famous world that Rowling created.
"The stakes are high because they were so good before," he said about "Fantastic Beasts." "You don't want to screw it up."
In addition to finally nabbing the "Harry Potter" role he always wanted, Redmayne and wife Hannah Bagshawe are currently expecting their first child together, according to E! News.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" began filming in August and is set for release on Nov. 18, 2016.
