Tom Felton famously portrayed Draco Malfoy in the iconic Harry Potter film franchise. Draco is a troubled child of evil parents who often spends time with the villains of the series. As such, Felton had many scenes with legendary actor Alan Rickman, who portrayed the enigmatic Professor Snape in the films. While it certainly was an opportunity for a young actor like Felton to get to perform alongside Rickman, an iconic veteran of the stage and screen, one incident led to Rickman getting upset with Felton while shooting a scene in Harry Potter. So much so, the Die Hard alum dropped an F-Bomb.
In a recent Instagram video, Felton promoted his new memoir Beyond the Wand which details different moments and memories from his acting career, including those from the Harry Potter films. Felton, nostalgic from his time with the franchise, shared a charming story about a moment with Alan Rickman. However, the story may not have been so charming at the time, as Felton revealed:
Eventually I was told in no uncertain terms by Alan Rickman ‘Don’t step on my fucking cloak’ I sort of giggled. Death Eaters and I sort of looked at each other like ‘Is he joking?’ Quickly it became apparent he definitely wasn’t joking. Next take, the director was very keen and asked me to walk as close as I possibly can to Alan. And we got about halfway down the great hall before [choking sound]. You have to bear in mind his cloak is attached around his neck. Nearly killed the poor man. He turned around and gave me a look like you never ever want to see. Very luckily the next take someone else stepped on his cloak. So that kinda took the heat away from me. But I’ll never forget the words ‘Don’t step on my fucking cloak’
I certainly understand why Rickman was upset with Felton, as it seems like everytime the young actor would step on Rickman’s cloak, it would nearly choke him. And Rickman in character as the daunting Severus Snape must’ve been incredibly intimidating, so it’s no wonder Tom Felton may have been spooked by the incident. He clearly was doing his best not to step on the cloak, however based on the framing of the scene, it must’ve been very difficult.
Lots of stories about the veteran actor have been circulating, as Rickman's family recently published the diaries the actor kept throughout his life. Alan Rickman sadly passed away from cancer in 2016, but his memory lives on. His co-stars from the Potter films have been sharing stories about his sense of humor, and how generous he was giving acting advice to the child actors on the films. While it was recently revealed he was often frustrated working on the movies, there was clearly a lot of love there, and Rickman made a strong positive impact in their lives.
Tom Felton clearly loves getting in touch with his Potter roots, I’m so happy he shared this story with us. He has said how much he loves answering fan questions about the films, and recently returned for the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special, which is available now for HBO Max subscribers. The special was chock full of stories from behind the scenes of making the Harry Potter films, including the fact that Felton and Emma Watson had crushes on each other while filming. While nothing came out of this young budding romance, the cast visibly have a lot of lasting affection for each other.
Tom Felton will certainly be sharing more stories like this one in Behind the Wand, which hits bookstore shelves on October 7th. You can also read Alan Rickman’s own recount of his experience filming the Harry Potter movies in Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman which is out now. In addition, fans can revisit both actors in the Harry Potter films, now streaming with a Peacock subscription.
