Shirley Henderson, who played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter series, opened up about how she landed the role. She recalled being initially skeptical about playing a 14-year-old when in real life, she was 37 at the time.
Shirley Henderson reveals why she kept her age a secret to land this Harry Potter role
In an interview with The Independent, the Scottish actress shared that she had been advised to conceal her age before going into auditioning for Harry Potter.
“The casting director said, ‘Go for it – and don’t mention your age,” Henderson recalled. While she did her best impression of a 14-year-old, she admitted to doing “a wee bit of moaning” during her audition, which helped her land the role.
Albeit a side character, the Hogwarts’ long-standing lavatory occupant remains one of the franchise’s most iconic figures. However, the Summerwater actress shared that her work in the movie yielded her no fame. “I don’t think anybody recognized me at all,” she said, adding that it was still a “nice job.”
Earlier this month, the Bridget Jones’s Diary actress told RadioTimes that she “didn’t know” who Harry Potter was. She added, “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’.”
The now–now-60-year-old actress recalled dressing up as a schoolgirl for the audition. She remembered wearing a white shirt, a black skirt, and a ponytail, which she said made her feel ‘ridiculous.’ Although it took months before she heard back, the producers eventually offered her the role.
Henderson believes that the age gap ultimately worked in her favor. She said, “Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body, and because she’s ghostly, there’s a kind of mistiness. You’re not looking closely at my face, so we could get away with it.” Her perspective makes sense given the fact that Myrtle has haunted the Hogwarts’ lavatory for decades.
Shirley Henderson first appeared as Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). She later reprised her role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).
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