Beyond the Wand

Synopsis

Tom Felton's adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like the Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy, the bleached-blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop-culture phenomenon-- and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit in at a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business, like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blond actor Macaulay Culkin, and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old, but who soon became one of his dearest friends. Then, or course there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous experience.

Loved

• Tom's humor. I laughed out loud more times listening to this than almost any other book. Tom's sense of humor is witty and deprecating, and the way he describes his awkward moments or dumb teenage decisions are hilarious. 

• Tom's personality. Of course it's hard to tell what a celebrity's personality is really like, but Tom seems to have a sense of reality and down-to-earth-ness that many other celebrities lack. He talks about his three older brothers keeping him in check, and his living a "normal" teenage life in between filming seems to have given him a wise perspective and a grounding in real life. Tom also seems to be refreshingly humble for a moviestar, saying he is more "enthusiastic" than talented, and always attributing his success to the brilliance of other actors.

• The examination of life. Tom is also refreshing in that he has lived the Hollywood glamour, and sees through it. After filming the Potter movies he got into the Hollywood scene, but then ended up leaving it, and we get to experience his journey of understanding what's actually valuable and meaningful in life. His story is quite deep and is a great opportunity for us to examine what makes us "rich."

• Behind the scenes of HP! Oh my goodness I just completely ate this up. Tom walks us through the whole experience of the Potter films- from a day on set to funny behind the scenes moments that made the final cut, to taking a chapter to talk about each actor and his relationship with him/her. I loved getting a glimpse into these actors' personalities- from Alan Rickman's extremely dry wit to Robbie Coltraine's sense of humor to Rupert Grint's chillness. And of course I loved reading about Tom's friendship with Emma Watson :)

• The mental health plug. Tom talks about his mental health challenges, and also talks about what he does to maintain good mental health, which is so refreshing! Coming from a therapy back ground I am all about this and am so on board with his mission of normalizing mental health treatment.

• The audiobook. This is one that MUST be listened to! Tom narrates it himself and is so entertaining with American accents and impersonations of different people. Just this narration is a tribute to his talent.

Didn't Love

• I loooooved this so much! My only complaint is that Tom uses the F-word a ton which isn't my favorite ;) But besides that I adored everything about this!

Content

• Language: 
• Lots of strong language. Very frequent uses of "F***." Frequent uses of "damn," "hell," "sh**," and "a**."

• Sexual content: 
• None.

• Violence
• Talks about an experience getting beat up by a gang.


• Other themes: 
• Substance abuse: Tom talks about his alcohol use and drug use (marijuana). He talks about getting caught by the police with marijuana. Talks about his experience going to rehab.

Overall Thoughts

I absolutely loved this and completely devoured it. The Harry Potter films framed my childhood, the Sorcerer's Stone coming out when I was in second grade, and The Deathly Hallows coming out the summer after I graduated high school. Because of that, I feel like I grew up with these actors and I love them. Getting to see glimpses of them behind the celebrity profile and their characters was so fun and I couldn't get enough of Tom's stories. I love Tom's voice and tone as he talks about his life and I found his self-deprecating humor and his appreciation for the simple things in life to be refreshing. While most of Tom's stories and observations are hilarious, much of what he talks about his quite deep and gives us the opportunity to reflect on our lives and what we value most. The message of Tom's journey is that the magic of our lives is not based on our wealth, fame or monetary value, but rather on our relationships, simple pleasures, and staying true to ourselves despite our circumstances and opportunities.