Tom Felton is known for bringing Draco Malfoy to life in the Harry Potter movies.
His portrayal of the snobbish blonde-haired bully pushed him to the limelight at a young age and earned him fans worldwide.
Beyond the walls of Hogwarts, the British actor has managed to sustain a thriving career in the entertainment industry.
Although he’s been in the public eye since childhood, there are sides to him you’ve probably never seen.
Here are 30 interesting facts about Tom Felton that you should know!
Tom Felton was born on September 22, 1987, to Peter Felton and Sharon Anstey in Surrey, England. His middle name is Andrew. He is 37 years old.
He’s the last of four boys, and his older brothers are Jonathan, Chris, and Ashley Felton.
During his teen years, Tom’s parents got a divorce.
Tom loved singing as a kid and was great at it. His incredible talent earned him a place on the Guildford Cathedral Choir, but he declined the offer.
Before his movie debut, Tom was featured in Commercial Union and Barclaycard commercials.
At only ten years old, the actor got his first movie role as Peagreen Clock in “The Borrowers,” released in 1997.
Before auditioning for Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton had never opened the Harry Potter books. In the end, it was his disinterest and arrogance that won over the directors.
During auditions, Tom dyed his hair and drew on a fake scar to try out for the role of Harry Potter. He also dyed his hair ginger to audition for Ron Weasley.
In 2001, he finally landed the role that changed his life forever, Draco Malfoy. The life-changing phone call came while he was out playing football with friends.
Tom Felton’s real-life grandfather, Nigel Anstey, a British geophysicist, appeared in the Harry Potter movies as a Hogwarts professor.
The actor shared that his grandpa helped him practice and perfect Draco Malfoy’s signature snarl.
One particularly obsessive fan legally changed their name to Lucius Malfoy. They wanted to adopt the actor and change his name to Draco, but Tom turned the offer down.
Although playing Draco Malfoy got Tom lots of attention from fans, it didn’t help him catch the interest of the girls at school.
Co-star Emma Watson admitted to having a crush on Tom during filming. While nothing romantic came out of it, they remain close friends.
Tom’s performance as Draco Malfoy delighted audiences and won him five awards and three nominations.
Draco Malfoy’s wife in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II was played by the actor’s real-life girlfriend, Jade Olivia Gordon. Their long-term relationship ended in 2016.
Tom Felton rewatched the Harry Potter movies for the first time in 2020. He shared this experience with fans on social media as he revealed fun facts about the production and set.
Like many of us viewing the movie on our screens, Tom felt intimidated by Alan Rickman. He added that Rickman had a great sense of humor, and he’s honored they worked together.
Tom loved snacking on set, leaving behind candy in the pockets of their wizard robes for the wardrobe team to find. This led the production team to sew the pockets on their wizard robes shut.
The actor also got in trouble for laughing with other Slytherin boys on the Harry Potter set. The penalty for disrupting production was putting money in the “red card jar.”
The Harry Potter cast didn’t get to keep many items from the set as they were put in museums. Nevertheless, Tom was lucky to get a tie pin and Slytherin ring.
Working hard while filming the Harry Potter movies affected the actor’s academic pursuits, as he got straight Cs in the GCSEs. This didn’t seem to be a problem for Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who got 9 A*s.
At the end of the movie franchise, Tom wasn’t ready to let go of the Malfoy name. The actor hopes to play a young Lucius if they ever make a Harry Potter prequel.
Tom isn’t just a great actor but a talented musician as well. He can play several instruments, including the violin, guitar, drums, ukulele, piano, bass guitar, and harmonica.
Although he’s more known for his movie roles, Tom Felton has released several music tracks and albums. Some of his famous songs are Time Well Spent, Hawaii, and hOLDing on.
Draco Malfoy might be a Slytherin, but Tom Felton isn’t. The actor revealed on Twitter that he took Pottermore’s sorting hat quiz and was placed in Gryffindor!
Tom is also a sports lover and enjoys cricket, ice skating, football, swimming, and rollerblading.
He is a huge fan of Hamilton, the Broadway musical. His TikTok account features duets and clips of the show.
The actor found it difficult to land new movie roles after Harry Potter ended, as he learned just how competitive Hollywood was. Thankfully, he overcame the slump and has since featured in many impressive films.
In 2022, Tom Felton published his autobiography, “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.” In his book, he shares stories of his life and the challenges of being a child celebrity.
Tom Felton is loved worldwide for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. But only a few hardcore fans of the actor know about his life and time on set.
These facts show that he has built a successful career despite the many challenges he faced along the way and maintains a close relationship with fans.
