As one of the young breakthrough stars of the Harry Potter film franchise, Tom Felton
grew up in front of the whole world, right alongside his character, the villainous Draco
Malfoy.
He may not have been a member of the heroic trinity in the series, but among Potter fans,
Felton's name became just about as well-known as his co-stars.
So, it seemed logical that he'd be among those who'd slither in to the A-list after the series
came to an end in 2011.
Unlike some of the others, though, Felton has since struggled to shed his status as
an alumnus of Hogwarts, which means his career outside of the World of Witchcraft and Wizardry
has been anything but magical.
Whereas Daniel Radcliffe has become something of an indie sensation and Emma Watson headlined
an entirely different blockbuster with curses and castles, Tom Felton hasn't been able to
ride his Nimbus 2000 to the top of the Hollywood ladder just yet.
Let's take a look at some of the reasons Hollywood won't cast him anymore.
Conflicted feelings
Starring in an eight-film mega-movie franchise might seem like the opportunity of a lifetime
for any actor, but Tom Felton didn't cherish the experience of being an overnight cinematic
success story as much as others might.
Before the final film Deathly Hallows, Part 2 hit theaters, he told the Daily Mail that
he looked forward to the "freedom" of not starring in the films anymore, saying:
"One thing that people keep on saying to me is that the wealth and the fame must have
made up for missing out on my childhood.
But the idea of money, putting a price on your childhood, is ridiculous.
To me, fame is not a positive thing.
The idea of being famous is a lot better than the reality.
It's fantastic when you go to premieres and people cheer you, but it's not real."
Considering most of those fans who were cheering him on at those very premieres were the ones
he'd need to see his next movies, those words may have come back to bite him harder than
Nagini.
A career left turn
After Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe decided to give the Broadway circuit and small-budget
films a whirl.
And Emma Watson went to college, became a beauty brand ambassador, and left Hermione
behind with films like The Bling Ring and This Is the End.
"I'm not f---ing around!"
Meanwhile, Tom Felton's first big post-Potter move was to rap.
Yes, rap.
In 2011, Felton revealed that he'd scored a recording deal with an independent label
to produce some hip-hop music, saying:
"I was thinking of doing some N-Dubz-style stuff.
I am looking to get into the grime rap UK scene."
Felton added that he intended to "change [his] image," and although that public persona overhaul
never seemed to pan out, some of his music has made way to the public sphere.
However, despite a few EP releases and a moderate amount of viral attention on YouTube, his
music has hardly been successful enough to qualify as a new career path.
Too familiar
His emcee effort might've at least been a change of pace, but Felton's next big screen
adventure was far too similar to his Harry Potter persona.
Felton claims he's not at all like the kid that made him famous…
"To be honest, I'm very un-Malfoy like in my day-to-day biddings"
However, in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, he played a small part as Dodge Landon,
a cruel zoo security guard who tortures the film's central sentient ape, Caesar.
"Take your stinking paw off me you damn dirty ape."
Like Draco, the character is remarkable only for his sniveling demeanor and the ease with
which audiences root against him.
Between this role and his villainous TV turn on TNT's Murder In the First, he may not be
distancing himself from the role that made him famous, which could make him seem a little
one-note to casting directors.
Indeed, even Radcliffe has had to work hard to extricate himself from the world of broomsticks
and floo powder, taking roles that are far off the mark of the Boy Who Lived.
By heading right back into an unlikable mini-baddie role after Deathly Hallows, Felton may have
made a huge career misstep right from the start.
Regaining confidence
Another surprising downside to the safety of a long-lived role like Felton had in the
Harry Potter series is that the series' end can feel a little like being thrown into the
ocean without a life vest.
The actor has admitted that returning to the regular practice of auditioning for parts
to sustain a lifestyle, rather than just trying to fill in the blanks between sequels, was
very difficult for him to adjust to.
He told the Daily Mail in 2011:
"I'm much more nervous in auditions now than I was at 11.
You take a lot of hits before you get something good.
The first few were heartbreaking."
The disappointment of being denied certain roles was so disorienting for him, in fact,
that he considered walking away from the business altogether, saying:
"I thought, 'I can't do this.'
They are cutthroat in America.
Before you've even started, someone's playing on the BlackBerry.
You're reading your lines, physically convulsing, and they just say 'Thank you.'
That means, 'Get lost.'
I did 19 auditions and got the 20th, for the film The Apparition."
To make matters worse, that movie would mark the start of a series of box office flops.
Missing box office magic
Although the Harry Potter series was a box office phenomenon, Felton has still not proven
himself to be a bankable actor.
His small-time thriller pic The Apparition failed to recoup its financiers' investment,
despite having both a Harry Potter star and Twilight alum Ashley Greene leading the cast.
Since then, he's yet to appear in a film that made any kind of impression at the ticket
booth.
Even movies that have been relatively well-received by critics, like the regal biopic Belle and
A United Kingdom, featured him only in supporting roles and brought in very little money during
their small theatrical runs.
Felton's not the only one of the Harry Potter alums who has struggled to convince muggles
to see his movies, but being associated with so many bombs likely isn't making his new
agent's job any easier.
Blond ambition
Considering his dismal box office streak, Tom Felton's chances of nabbing a leading
movie role anytime soon seem low, but it might not be a good idea to tell him that.
In fact, the actor's ambitions seem to be unfettered, he not only wants another franchise,
but he wants one of the most iconic and long-lasting of all time: Bond, James Bond.
He told Metro that playing the suave 007 agent is an "unfulfilled career ambition" for him,
adding:
"I haven't landed James Bond yet.
Playing Bond or a Bond villain was why I wanted to do movies in the first place."
Considering that may be the most coveted role in all of Hollywood, his expectations may
be a bit lofty and unrealistic.
Time to turn it around
These days, Tom Felton does seem to be settling in with a more low-key professional lifestyle.
In 2016, for example, he nabbed a recurring role in the third season of The CW's The Flash,
and while the role didn't carry on to the next season, it did help introduce him to
a new and different fanbase in the comics community.
He was also cast in the little-seen, but ambitious adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet,
titled Ophelia, alongside some big names like Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts.
Neither project has put him on a new trajectory for success yet, but they have helped Felton
stretch into new territory that might better convince casting agents he's capable of doing
more than a bunch of Draco Malfoy impressions in the future.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!