Like millions of other literature lovers around the world, April Supa-Star Evanna Lynch was a fan of the Harry Potter book series growing up. Well before she was cast as the whimsical witch Luna Lovegood, Lynch had already fallen in love with the character, which the star reflected on during her panel at Supanova on the Gold Coast last month.
“She’s the odd one out, and you notice her – I noticed her,” she said. “Some people, I think, have that quality about them. A lot of fans like me have that quality where there’s normal rhythm of society and they are slightly different. They don’t adapt themselves to just tick all the boxes.”
Lynch continued about Luna: “She’s in another realm almost, the subconscious. I always felt when I read the books and when she came on the page, I would feel like a sense of comfort and happiness and lightness to her… she would always move to the beat of her own drum.”
Lynch weighed in on the debate about Luna being an underrated character in the Harry Potter franchise. “I wouldn’t say she was underrated. I was playing a supporting character and yet everywhere I go around the world I receive much love for playing her. Sometimes I find it quite ironic that she is so beloved and gives so much comfort to people because she was so bullied and faced so much prejudice in the books.”
“She didn’t experience that huge warm embrace that I get from fans. The only thing I can do with that is pass it on to other people, to other people who seem like her, feel like her. She’s definitely not underrated, she’s celebrated, and I love to meet the kind of people that connect to her.”
The Wizarding World, much like the real world, is filled with light and darkness, good and ill intent. This can be said of the spells wizards and witches cast – it all depends on the intent of the caster. One such spell is full of positivity and happy thoughts to cast aside the negativity and darkness. The Patronus Charm is a spell that conjures a guardian spirit to ward off soul-feeding Dementors.
It’s not just a fan-favourite spell, though – it’s also Lynch’s favourite. She explained why: “Because it is a real-world spell. It’s summoning happiness, and anyone who’s struggled with depression and dark thoughts, will understand that when you are feeling your lowest it is the hardest to find that happy thought.”
“Focus on it until it expands and changes your day. But it’s an amazing quality, it’s the quality of resilience. To me, that spell is just showing the power of positive thinking and a positive mindset.”
Happy thoughts and positivity are not just a product of the Patronus Charm; it sums up the behind-the-scenes experience of making the Harry Potter movies for Lynch. She elaborated on this and her favourite scene.
“The scene I most loved being a part of is the wedding scene [from Deathly Hallows: Part 1] because that’s where you got to meet Luna’s dad. It’s nice to have more of the [Lovegood] family, it’s also nice when you have a big group scene because the pressure is off. You get to live it and be in it. And I always loved those moments on set, I didn’t feel like an actor acting, I just felt like a child in a magical world.”
Lynch is no stranger to conventions either; she has been attending conventions and meeting fans for over 10 years.
She briefly summarised her experience meeting fans at conventions: “I have met lots of people, 10 years, and five years ago. I’m so grateful to be welcomed back after all these years. It’s 18 years since I first played this part. That’s surreal! What actor has that opportunity, and has that much support from the fans? I will keep coming back as long as they will have me.”
Lead image: Evanna Lynch at Supanova Gold Coast. Pic by Annika Van Kerkvoort
