Shirley Henderson Recalls 'Ridiculous' Harry Potter Audition When She Was 37

Shirley Henderson at the premiere of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy earlier this yearHarry Potter star Shirley Henderson has admitted she felt somewhat “ridiculous” trying out for the role of Moaning Myrtle when she was already in her 30s.The Bridget Jones’s Diary star played the Hogwarts ghost in the second Harry Potter movie, The Chamber Of Secrets, before reprising the role in the fourth offering, The Goblet Of Fire.During a recent interview with Radio Times, she recalled being 37 when she landed the role, explaining: “When I was first asked for an audition, I didn’t know who Harry Potter was. But my sister, who was staying with me, had read the books.“Still, I wasn’t convinced I could play a 14-year-old girl because I was in my 30s at the time. But I spoke to the casting director Karen Lindsay-Stewart and she said, ‘I haven’t told them your age’.”Shirley continued: “So I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl – white shirt, black skirt, ponytail – thinking, ‘This is ridiculous’.“I did my wee bit for them and they thanked me. Months went by and I thought that was it, but then they phoned my agent, asked to see me again and offered me the part.”“Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body and because she’s ghosty, there’s a kind of mistiness,” she observed. “You’re not looking closely at my face so we could get away with it.”In a separate conversation with The Independent, she recalled being told by the film’s casting agent: “Go for it – and don’t mention your age.”The Scottish performer claimed her audition consisted of reading her lines and doing a “wee bit of moaning” to get into the character of Myrtle.And while she said that Harry Potter was a “nice job”, it was also a somewhat lonely one, as most of her scenes were recorded alone in front of a green screen, to achieve Myrtle’s ghostliness.Since playing Myrtle, Shirley has more recently appeared in the Netflix series Dept. Q and lent her voice to the Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian.Earlier this year, she also reprised her role as Bridget Jones’ best pal Jude in the fourth film in the rom-com series.READ MORE:JK Rowling Has More To Say About Her Rift With Harry Potter Star Emma WatsonKeira Knightley Reacts To Backlash Over Her Role In New Harry Potter ProjectHarry Potter Director Insists Reunion Would Be 'Impossible' Due To JK Rowling Controversy

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