Naturally, all the young actors cast for the first Harry Potter
film felt very lucky. They were each the perfect age and
description for their characters at the perfect time.
No actor felt luckier, however, than Jamie Waylett. After all,
only a few years earlier, doctors did not believe he’d be alive to
see his eleventh birthday.
He was nine-years-old when he was hit by the car that left him
nearly brain-damaged. His injuries were so severe that no doctor
could sugar coat the results. After three days in the intensive
care unit, they decided to be upfront and honest with his parents,
revealing that Jamie had almost no chance of surviving.
Jamie’s parents, though overwhelmed and distraught, understood the
news as the truth. A close friend of the family, however, was not
convinced. He confronted the doctors in the intensive care unit
and demanded that they check Jamie’s blood. Though skeptical of
the demand, the doctors appeased his friend as well as his family
with a simple blood transfusion.
Jamie woke up the very next day.
Over the next year, Jamie began to improve. Though it was a slow
process, it soon became clear that the doctor’s first diagnosis
was wrong. Jamie was going to live.
It was only a short time after Jamie returned to a normal life
that some casting directors came to visit his school. They were
casting for the first Harry Potter film and were searching for
students who fit the description of the characters from Harry
Potter.
Jamie was approached by the directors along with three other
students. They took Polaroid pictures and asked them questions,
where Jamie, who had never read a book from the series and even
dismissed it as boring and uninteresting, asked for a shot at the
role of Dudley Dursley.
The directors took one look, however, and informed Jamie’s
headmistress that they had found their Vincent Crabbe, one of two
sidekicks to Harry’s schoolmate and enemy, Draco Malfoy.
Unlike the other young Harry Potter stars who heard of the
audition through advertisements or word of mouth, the part had
practically fallen into his lap.
Jamie didn’t understand the extent of the role or the long-lasting
impact the role would have. He and Tom Felton simply played
PlayStation in the days it took the directors to cast Gregory
Goyle. Once the threesome was set, they began filming Harry Potter
and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Still, Jamie refused to take the role seriously and had fun during
the filming. He quickly became known as the practical joker. He
likes to keep the cast and crew laughing with impressions of his
fellow Harry Potter actors and even his directors.
He stated that his favorite scene was the Halloween scene because
he enjoyed everyone running out of the room at the same time and
practically falling over their robes, and that though he looks
like the perfect Crabbe, he’s most like the character of Ron.
It wasn’t until after the film was released that he realized the
magnitude of Harry Potter, and the significance of having a role
in the series. Even at the age of twelve, he knew that he couldn’t
let the fame and success of the franchise get to his head.
In an earlier interview, he was quoted as saying,"It'll all go
won't it? The movies will end and the money will run out. When I
go home, I'm just me."
Unfortunately, whether fame playing a factor or not, Jamie made
some bad decisions that subsequently interfered with his career.
He now faces legal trouble that has effectively ended his time
with the Harry Potter family. Neither Jamie nor the character of
Vincent Crabbe will be returning for the last two Harry Potter
films. Though Jamie and his family still feel very fortunate that
he is even alive today, the role of Vincent Crabbe may just be his
greatest achievement.
film felt very lucky. They were each the perfect age and
description for their characters at the perfect time.
No actor felt luckier, however, than Jamie Waylett. After all,
only a few years earlier, doctors did not believe he’d be alive to
see his eleventh birthday.
He was nine-years-old when he was hit by the car that left him
nearly brain-damaged. His injuries were so severe that no doctor
could sugar coat the results. After three days in the intensive
care unit, they decided to be upfront and honest with his parents,
revealing that Jamie had almost no chance of surviving.
Jamie’s parents, though overwhelmed and distraught, understood the
news as the truth. A close friend of the family, however, was not
convinced. He confronted the doctors in the intensive care unit
and demanded that they check Jamie’s blood. Though skeptical of
the demand, the doctors appeased his friend as well as his family
with a simple blood transfusion.
Jamie woke up the very next day.
Over the next year, Jamie began to improve. Though it was a slow
process, it soon became clear that the doctor’s first diagnosis
was wrong. Jamie was going to live.
It was only a short time after Jamie returned to a normal life
that some casting directors came to visit his school. They were
casting for the first Harry Potter film and were searching for
students who fit the description of the characters from Harry
Potter.
Jamie was approached by the directors along with three other
students. They took Polaroid pictures and asked them questions,
where Jamie, who had never read a book from the series and even
dismissed it as boring and uninteresting, asked for a shot at the
role of Dudley Dursley.
The directors took one look, however, and informed Jamie’s
headmistress that they had found their Vincent Crabbe, one of two
sidekicks to Harry’s schoolmate and enemy, Draco Malfoy.
Unlike the other young Harry Potter stars who heard of the
audition through advertisements or word of mouth, the part had
practically fallen into his lap.
Jamie didn’t understand the extent of the role or the long-lasting
impact the role would have. He and Tom Felton simply played
PlayStation in the days it took the directors to cast Gregory
Goyle. Once the threesome was set, they began filming Harry Potter
and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Still, Jamie refused to take the role seriously and had fun during
the filming. He quickly became known as the practical joker. He
likes to keep the cast and crew laughing with impressions of his
fellow Harry Potter actors and even his directors.
He stated that his favorite scene was the Halloween scene because
he enjoyed everyone running out of the room at the same time and
practically falling over their robes, and that though he looks
like the perfect Crabbe, he’s most like the character of Ron.
It wasn’t until after the film was released that he realized the
magnitude of Harry Potter, and the significance of having a role
in the series. Even at the age of twelve, he knew that he couldn’t
let the fame and success of the franchise get to his head.
In an earlier interview, he was quoted as saying,"It'll all go
won't it? The movies will end and the money will run out. When I
go home, I'm just me."
Unfortunately, whether fame playing a factor or not, Jamie made
some bad decisions that subsequently interfered with his career.
He now faces legal trouble that has effectively ended his time
with the Harry Potter family. Neither Jamie nor the character of
Vincent Crabbe will be returning for the last two Harry Potter
films. Though Jamie and his family still feel very fortunate that
he is even alive today, the role of Vincent Crabbe may just be his
greatest achievement.
| Copyright © 2007 | www.booksandwands.com | All Rights Reserved Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Warner Brothers Entertainment. No copyright infringement intended of any and all source material. No profits were made from this site. |
| Vital Stats: |
| Jamie Waylett |
Full Name:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Siblings:
- Jamie Waylett
- --
Date of Birth:
- 21 July 1989
Place of Birth:
- Kilburn, London, England
Siblings:
- --
| Biography: |
| The Ultimate Harry Potter Analysis Source |
| Choosing what is Right over what is Easy |
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| Contact Information: |
www.jamiewaylett.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html
Jamie Waylett
c/o 'Harry Potter' Productions
Leavesden Studio
PO Box 3000
Leavesden
Hertfordshire
WD25 7LT
ENGLAND
Jamie Waylett
c/o 'Harry Potter' Productions
Leavesden Studio
PO Box 3000
Leavesden
Hertfordshire
WD25 7LT
ENGLAND
