Dan Fogler Takes Us Inside ‘Fantastic Beasts’

Jul 25, 2016

Posted by: Storie Chastain

News

This time last year, Dan Fogler was in much the same place he is now, heading home from San Diego Comic Con. But his Comic Con experience from 2015 was a very different one than 2016. Last year, Fogler was a mere exhibitor, selling his comic book Brooklyn Gladiator to passing strangers. It was there, on the crowded convention floor that he received the news that he would be joining the Wizarding World in the new Fantastic Beasts movie.

Little did he know, when he was handing out free copies of his comic book after receiving the news of his casting, that he’d soon be back in the same place but, this time as a celebrity guest.

Having grown up in the streets of New York, it was little surreal for Fogler to fly to London only to find himself in the middle of New York once again. Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden had recreated a network of streets in New York to film the movie in.

“I know all of the streets where we are working,” he told us on Friday, the eve of his triumphant return to Comic-Con. “I had to fly all the way from New York to London to come to New York. It was incredibly surreal once the cameras started rolling; the horses were clopping along the perfectly crafted cobblestone streets, with the mist and smoke coming out of the grates and model Ts. I was in awe.”

Dan told Vanity Fair, “You can get lost, essentially in 1920s New York.” He explained that the stores we see in the streets weren’t just faux store fronts but you could go in and sit down and it’s like an actual, tangible restaurant. “Someday that set is going to be part of the museum tour because of how intricate it is.”

Dan also gave Vanity Fair the scoop on his meeting with J.K. Rowling, “the queen of the Wizarding World.”

“She said that Jacob was one of her favorite characters,” Fogler told us. “And [Jacob] reminded her of [Harry Potter’s] Ron Weasley, who everybody loves. He’s got a big heart, and they’re kind of cut from the same cloth. That was really cool to hear. . .She was just bubbling and percolating with this new story that is encompassing her whole being, and she was excited to share it.”

Since Dan’s character is a No-maj, completely new to the wizarding world, Dan explains that his reactions to magic and magical beasts are much how the audiences would be. Dan’s character is essentially the embodiment of the audience within the film.

Fogler compares his journey from the exhibition floor to signing autographs as an actor for a billion-dollar franchise to his characters ascent from nobody no-maj to friend of Newt Scamander and a vital part in his adventure. “And it’s the same thing for me, Dan Fogler, because I feel like I’m inside of a dream.”

See more on Vanity Fair’s interview with Dan Fogler here and be sure to catch Fantastic Beasts in theaters November 18!

 





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.