Jason Isaacs Discusses the Creation of Lucius Malfoy for the Films
Isaacs
Posted by: Mel
November 22, 2010, 11:22 PM
In an Entertainment Weekly article, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) discusses how he initially put together the character of Lucius Malfoy in the first Harry Potter film he appeared in, "Chamber of Secrets." Isaacs talks about the contributions he made to the character's costume (which includes the wig) and his accent:
“I
went to the set, and they had this idea of me wearing a pinstripe suit,
short black-and-white hair,” Isaacs recalls. “I was slightly horrified.
He was a racist, a eugenicist. There’s no way he would cut his hair
like a Muggle, or dress like a Muggle.” So Isaacs suggested instead that
he wear a long white wig, and a particularly ostentatious wizard-like
ensemble. “In order to keep the hair straight, I had to tip my head
back, so I was looking down my nose at everyone. There was 50 percent of
the character. I asked for a walking stick, which [Chamber of Secrets director] Chris Columbus first thought was because I had something
wrong with my leg. I explained I wanted it as an affectation so I can
pull my wand out [of the cane]. After a second’s thought, he said, ‘You
know what, I think the toy guys are going to love you.’ He was
completely right.”
Next: Malfoy’s accent. “There’s a particular art critic in England
who has a voice like fingernails on a blackboard,” says Isaacs, who in
real life has a far more accessible, slightly working class London
accent. “I combined him with a teacher I thought was patronizing and
sadistic when I was in drama school. To me what [the accent] smacks of
is a sense of entitlement. I just wanted to find a voice that made him
drip with the millennia that his family had been in power — complete
disdain and contempt for anybody and everything else.”
Isaacs goes on to talk about director Chris Columbus's reaction to the accent and Daniel Radcliffe's (Harry Potter) opinion of it. You can read the rest of the article here.
43 Comments
123 Points
I love it when good guys- like Jason- play bad guys. And he doesn’t play Lucius as a stereotypical villain- thank goodness for that! Evil wizards have been around in films since they began making them, but it takes a good actor to convey the dark soul of someone as malevolent as Lucius Malfoy.
6907 Points
He is perfect for Lucius! And I love that he is so enthusiastic about his character and the movies/books in general. It’s great when a real fan gets to be in the movies.
37 Points
He must mean the fabulous Brian Sewel… Art Critic for the London “Evening Standard” Newspaper! What a perfect choice. And, Yes Mr Columbus, there really are people who speak like that!
5214 Points
Good job Jason
4208 Points
Jason Isaacs is an amazing actor. Trying to make him look like a rich muggle would have failed completely. I am so glad that the Producers kept Isaac’s portrayal of Lucius Malfoy in the films. His acting helps us understand Draco better as well. In the Deathly Hallows movie you can feel how afraid he is of Voldie, and he conveys how desperate Lucius is to regain Voldemorts’ favor once more.
Here is a sample the voice of Brian Sewell – the basis for the Jason Isaacs Lucius Malfoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3G618-hxgA
The resemblance is pretty obvious, once you know – but Lucius is crisper, and certainly more sinister.
345 Points
There’s no question that Mr. Isaacs has created a brilliant Lucius Malfoy. I can’t picture anyone else playing that character.
253 Points
I can’t imagine anyone but Jason playing Lucius Malfoy
4452 Points
He looks kind of hot in that picture :/
637 Points
Good thing they didn’t mess up his appearance. Even though JK never says anything about how he looked in his books they got it perfectly.
510 Points
What is with the hair people on these movies and their desire to give both Mr and Mrs Malfoy skunk hair? First they tried to give Lucius skunk hair then even though that proved an epic failure when his wife Narcissa came along they gave her the skunk hair instead despite the fact that the hair of both characters is described as an almost white blonde just like Draco’s!
I’m sorry, but movie Narcissa’s hair just KILLS me! I mean seriously what was the point of doing that to her hair? She looks totally ridiculous and NOTHING like Narcissa in the books to the point that it completely distracts me from her performance! Even the length of her hair is all wrong and her hair color is an absolute joke despite the US version of HBP having an illustration of Narcissa’s hair from the back clearly showing what her hair looks like at the start of the “Spinner’s End” chapter and how she’s actually described. Even Harry admits in GOF that she would’ve been quite attractive if it weren’t for the constant expression of disgust on her face, but does anyone find movie Narcissa attractive with that hair? I certainly don’t!
Jason is just so brilliant and dedicated to these films, its fans, and his character that I’d really hoped that whoever they cast to play his wife would be equally dedicated to their character so it disappointed me when I saw the saw the first stills of Narcissa from HBP. If she were even half as dedicated as Jason and Tom she would NEVER have allowed them do that to her character’s hair.
Ok done ranting! As always LOVE Jason in this article and in DH 1! Like everyone else here I too felt sorry for him when Voldemort snapped his cane, but Draco is the one I felt deeply sorry for. He hardly even bothered to keep Harry from taking those wands and after a few seconds of pulling back and forth between them it seemed as if he simply just let go on purpose. I’m super nervous and excited to see how they’ve changed the ending for Lucius! I just hope they don’t kill him! I also wonder whether or not we’ll see the Malfoys being tortured for the trio’s escape or did Dobby show up before anyone was actually able to call for him?
1972 Points
So glad they picked Jason Isaacs I can’t imagine Lucious with short black and white hair and wearing something a muggle would wear?!
3158 Points
Brilliant, and superb, Lucius Malfoy that guy. Actors like him should be looked up to.
I love it when good guys- like Jason- play bad guys. And he doesn’t play Lucius as a stereotypical villain- thank goodness for that! Evil wizards have been around in films since they began making them, but it takes a good actor to convey the dark soul of someone as malevolent as Lucius Malfoy.