Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses alcohol addiction and substance misuse. 

Aside from Planet of the Apes, Felton isn’t offered any more parts without an audition. His girlfriend Jade encourages him to audition for roles, films him for audition tapes, and reads lines with him. He plays the part of Viscount Trencavel in a miniseries called Labyrinth and delivers his monologue to a bored-looking teenager who reminds him of Draco Malfoy, resolving to draw his interest and attention. Felton struggles with the horse-riding scenes in the miniseries, embarrassing himself a few times, as he pretended to be a confident rider in order to get the part.

Felton and Jade move to LA, where Felton is taken on by an agency. He goes to countless auditions, and many of these go badly. Despite these setbacks, Felton’s celebrity status increases, and he and Jade skip queues outside of trendy clubs and restaurants. Additionally, Felton is loaned expensive cars, praised by strangers, and becomes the recipient of free designer clothing. He revels in these perks, but on some level, he feels disconnected from the life he is leading, which feels inauthentic. As a way to cope, he starts to frequent a bar called Barney’s Beanery.