Harry Potter star visits Handsworth: Star-struck students at an inner-city Birmingham grammar school conjured magical memories when a Hogwarts star made an inspirational appearance.
Renowned actor Alfred Enoch, who played Dean Thomas in the much-loved movies, visited King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys to meet students in the school’s library on June 12.
Around 40 Handsworth students – who are studying English Literature or taking part in Performance and Communication programmes – were spellbound as he told them about growing up at Hogwarts.
He told them: “I had already loved the books, and read them all, so it was so exciting to be invited to audition for the films. Then I was very lucky, because the casting directors went to see a play I was in, and they must have liked me.
“It was great fun being in the films, because they built those huge sets for real. But in the early films, we went out to film at amazing locations too, so all of us kids would be packed off together and put up in hotels. It was a great time.”
And the actor, who this year starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed production of Henry V, told the students how he decided to become an actor as a young boy, after seeing his father, William Russell, perform at London’s Globe theatre.
Then Alfred performed an excerpt from Henry V, playfully stepping in among the startled students to draw them into his performance, drawing gasps, giggles and applause.
Afterwards he told them: “I loved the way you reacted to that, that’s what theatre is about! Theatre lives because of the exchange between the actors and the audience.”
Alfred, who also starred in the critically acclaimed US legal drama How to Get Away with Murder, even switched to an American accent as he explained to the students how he developed a character.
Afterwards, he answered their questions on everything from actors he has worked with to characters he would like to play.
After taking selfies with students and signing autographs, he said: “I thought the students were brilliant. I enjoyed their enthusiasm, and sometimes their restlessness, and their questions were great too.
“I think most of all, I hope I got across that I feel thankful that, as an actor, I get to do the thing I love doing. My message to them would be: if you can do that too, please go after it – take the risk, and try to do the thing that you love.”
The visit was arranged after teacher Ed Harvey saw Alfred participate in the annual Shakespeare Service at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon in April. Seizing his chance, he approached the star and asked him to make the short journey to Birmingham to speak to his students.
He said: “I am so grateful to Alfred for making time to visit and share his experiences with students at HGS – it was an afternoon they will remember for the rest for the lives.”
Headteacher Tim Johnson said: “The team here at Handsworth Grammar School for Boys work really hard to regularly organise unusual and memorable events that will have a positive, inspirational impact on our students, and this was a great example that had everyone talking.
“I want to thank Alfred for giving us such a memorable day. There was a real buzz around the place – for a while, he brought a little of the magic of Hogwarts to our school.”