Weekly Round-Up: Daniel Radcliffe on Life in Lockdown, Helen McCrory’s Feed NHS Scheme & More!

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, news just keeps rolling in! J.K. Rowling launched a new hub for Harry Potter readers, we released an interview with Jason Isaacs on The Tales of Beedle The Bard audiobook, we shared Transfiguring Adoption’s call for support, and we announced a new giveaway of The Wand Collection. 

In this week’s round-up we share Helen McCrory’s new Feed NHS scheme, interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, Brendan Gleeson, Emma Watson and David Tennant, a performance by Helena Bonham Carter, delays for various projects featuring Wizarding World alumni, and trailers for Imelda Staunton, Katie Leung, David Thewlis, and more:

Daniel Radcliffe Interview On The Late Show & Being a Coronavirus Hoax 

When COVID-19 hit Britain, one of the first celebrities rumored to have contracted the virus was none other than Daniel Radcliffe. No need to worry, Dan’s absolutely fine and hasn’t had COVID-19, and this was none other than a prank by a “group of 33 anonymous people who said they did it because “it was funny, that they were manipulating people’s minds, and that the internet was lowering people’s IQ.”, according to Buzzfeed.

Vulture spoke to Dan and long-time girlfriend Erin Darke about their situation currently, and his reaction to the hoax. The couple are quarantined in Dan’s New York apartment, and have a Post-It on a wall they’re using to tally off the days they’ve been in lockdown for!

On where he was when the hoax spread about him having coronavirus, Dan said:

“I was doing a play in London, which obviously had to finish a little early, but at the time we were still doing it. The London theaters carried a week or so longer than most other plays. We’d done the matinee and I went into hair and makeup for the evening show, and the hair and makeup artist, a lovely guy called Rob, turned around with a sort of knowing smile, and he was like, “You’ve got coronavirus.” I was like, “What?! I’m sure I don’t. I just did a play.” And he said, “Yeah, my niece just texted me. She said, ‘Oh, yeah, that dude’s got coronavirus.’” It was very much like, “Watch yourself. I don’t know if you should work with this guy. He’s got coronavirus.””

He kept in good humor, however, noting, “It’s not the first time I’ve had something crazy written about me”.

Read the full interview with Dan and Erin here.

Dan also appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, and showed off some Jurassic World Lego he’d been working on, and spoke about Harry Potter and being in quarantine in his flat for 11 days as oppose to Harry living in a cupboard for 11 years! Watch the interview with Colbert below:

First Trailer For Trying, Starring Imelda Staunton 

The eight-part series also stars Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, and follows the story of a couple trying for adoption.

Written by Andy Wolton and directed by Jim O’Hanlon, the series will be the first UK comedy series to launch on Apple TV+ on May 1. Read more over at Deadline.

Helen McCrory Sets Up New Meals Scheme, Offering First Meals to NHS Staff Fighting COVID-19

Narcissa Malfoy might be in cahoots with the dark side (with some remorse left in her, apparently), but Helen McCrory is once again showing her commitment to making the world a better place with her new meal-providing scheme during COVID-19 lockdown.

Along with partner Damian Lewis, McCrory is offering the free meals to NHS workers on the front line of the crisis. Their Feed NHS initiative saw health workers have food delivered from restaurant chain Leon at 11.30am. They are working with NHS Charities Together to extend the scheme nationwide.

McCrory said on the scheme:

“One thing NHS staff said they needed was food. We really are worried that now care workers are doing longer hours.”

We’re proud to see another Potter alumni being a force of good in the world! McCrory and Lewis’s movement has quickly caught on. Their JustGiving page has received half a million pounds in donations, and has seen restaurants Wasabi, Pizza Pilgrims and Nusa Kitchens also join the scheme since it started. Read more here.

Emma Watson Interviews Valerie Hudson

In a conversation between Emma Watson and Sex and World Peace author, Valerie Hudson, the pair discuss feminism, marriage, the #MeToo movement and more. It’s a wonderful interview by Watson, sharing the thoughts of two people who are equal fans of each other’s work. Give it a read over at Teen Vogue. 

Katie Leung Cast in The Nest on BBC One

Harry Potter‘s Katie Leung will appear in BBC One’s The Nest, a gripping show in its first season. The series started on March 22, and tells the story of a pair looking to have children and who meet a surrogate, who they’re doubting they can trust.

Watch the trailer below, and read more here.

David Thewlis In First International Trailer For Guest of Honour

Harry Potter‘s David Thewlis appears in the first official international trailer for drama Guest of Honour, by Atom Egoyan.

The film tells the story of a father and daughter in Canada trying to unravel their histories and secrets:

“Veronica wants to remain in jail for a sexual assault she knows she’s been wrongfully imprisoned for. Both her and her father, Jim, find themselves acting out of the bounds of good behavior as the past haunts them.”

The film’s opening in Europe has been delayed due to COVID-19, so stay posted for updates!

Watch the trailer below, and read more here.

Bill Nighy Guessed To Be the Next Doctor By Matt Smith

Doctor Who‘s ex-Doctor, Matt Smith, shared his own theory about the series this week, saying that Harry Potter‘s Bill Nighy will be the next Doctor. Nighy starred in the series during Smith’s run as art curator Dr Black.

Smith posted the following via @LockdownWho when livetweeting during The Eleventh Hour:

“‘What if Bill Nighy is a Doctor from the future sent back to check on the progress of things?! I mean… he’s a Doctor if ever I saw one!!?”

Bill Nighy was also livetweeting thoughts on The Eleventh Hour:

BILL NIGHY: "Ooh, I remember the tie. It said in the script ‘he wears a bow tie' and the designer asked me ‘what kind?’ I said ‘how about navy polka dot'" #TheUltimateGinger

— Matt Smith #FishCustard (@LockdownWho) March 30, 2020

Read more here.

Helena Bonham Carter In Tweedy’s Lost and Found

Helena Bonham Carter performed in Tweedy’s Lost and Found on April 1st over Instagram – see the video below:

View this post on Instagram

Tweedy’s Lost and Found with #HelenaBonhamCarter, April 1st 2020. #tweedyclown #thebarntheatre

A post shared by Helena Bonham Carter (@helena.bc.news) on Apr 1, 2020 at 5:43am PDT

Interview With David Tennant

In a new interview, David Tennant discusses new Acorn TV mini-series Deadwater Fell, and shares his list of essentials after being in lockdown in London after filming on Around the World in 80 Days was halted. 

On the list appears Tim  Minchin, Dear Evan Hansen, Pod Save America, Marvel comics, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Ed Reardon’s Week, Cigarettes After Sex, and more.

Read the interview here. Deadwater Fell arrives on Acorn tomorrow, April 6.

Brendan Gleeson On The COVID-19 Lockdown

Gleeson recently appeared on RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline, saying it is “thrilling” how the country has come together during this crisis:

“I have to say, I did my own bit of moaning about how the health service is run [a famous Late Late Show interview in 2006], but all I can feel is the same admiration everybody else feels for people in the frontline. They’re absolutely brilliant.

“For that amount of people to get involved and put themselves out there, and the amount of communication amongst people and the amount of sharing of information that’s leading to all sorts of brilliant things…

“We hardly dare to hope, but the idea of this ‘flattening curve’ and all that, that we might just be good to ourselves and have it front and centre and keep the priorities right”

Hear the interview, and read more here.

Eddie Redmayne Reads Zog For Save With Stories

As part of Save With Stories’ initiative to help parents read to children, Eddie Redmayne read Zog via Instagram, along with other celebrities reading other children’s stories. See a clip below:

✨ See #FantasticBeasts star, Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) read ‘ZOG’ over at @savewithstorys📚: https://t.co/cRAnZMFGRR ✨ pic.twitter.com/qevsD4aRLe

— The Leaky Cauldron (@leaky) April 1, 2020

The Third Day, Starring Jude Law & Katherine Waterston, Delayed, & Jude Law Thanks NHS

The Third Day, a Sky series starring Jude Law and Katherine Waterston, was set to debut in May, with live immersive events in March. The series has been delayed until fall amid COVID-19 lockdown procedures.

Read more here.

Jude Law also recently took part in a video thanking the NHS, along with other celebrities. See the clip here.

Disney Pushes Back Artemis Fowl Release

For those excited for the release of Artemis Fowl, you’ll have to wait for the movie (starring Colin Farrell and directed by Kenneth Branagh) for a little longer.

The film was due to release on May 29, but will instead be the first Disney theatrical film to move directly to a Disney+ debut, as opposed to a premium VOD release. Read more here.

That’s all for this week’s round-up! Keep posted for more updates on filming delays and rescheduling, and read last week’s here.