I admit it; I’m a Harry Potter fan. I went to the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with my mom. I started reading the books. I was hooked. I wish I had thought of audio books when we drove from California to Texas, because I would have loved to read all the Harry Potters again while I was driving.
I doubt that J.K. Rowling had any idea of the kind of popularity and success her story about a boy wizard who lived would have. I’m sure she dreamed of it, though. I can’t think that anyone starts a creative endeavor hoping it will make it to the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble.
Can you imagine being one of the central children in the stories? The children who star as the main characters have had their lives turned upside down too. In the blink of an eye they went from being ordinary British schoolchildren to superstars. They’ve grown up on screen right in front of us. Many child actors suffer the same fate of living their childhoods on the big or small screen. They have to learn how to transition from child to adult while people have a hard time divorcing the person from the character he plays.
A lot of actors are concerned about the people they attract. They want to find love like everyone else, but want to know that the people with them are there for them and not their fame. Emma Watson, who plays super smart witch Hermione Granger, is very apprehensive about her prospects considering the size of her bank account. She’s a very wealthy young woman and is afraid her money will scare suitors away. She believes that money complicates relationships.
I feel her pain. I just wish I had a fraction of her balance.