Beyond the Wand
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4.7 • 555 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen in this #1 New York Times bestseller.
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 the 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 into 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 blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (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 whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.
Now with a new chapter Felton delves into his experience of fame, Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
According to Harry Potter actor Tom Felton’s candid memoir, living out a fantasy can make your everyday life pretty unreal. Playing Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy in the Potter movies made Felton a star, but in addition to giving us fun glimpses behind the curtain of fame, Felton shows how stardom came dangerously close to ruining his life. Felton’s bond with his close-knit family helped ground him early on, though he delights in detailing his misadventures with his brother Chris, who took chaperoning young Tom less than completely seriously. But Felton also opens up about battling alcoholism in Hollywood later on and his multiple attempts at rehab. Along the way he shares fond memories of encounters with everyone from Judi Dench to the late Robbie Coltrane, and speaks poignantly of his close friendship with fellow Harry Potter star Emma Watson. Felton’s self-deprecating humor kept us smiling, and his disarming honesty made us feel for his struggles, as he shows us that fame isn’t always as rosy as it may seem.
Customer Reviews
Beyond the Wand, Beyond My Expectations
I ate this book up. No, seriously—I devoured it. I have both the hard copy and the audiobook, and let me tell you, listening to Tom tell his own story is a full experience. Hearing it in his voice, with his accent and his little laughs and asides, takes it to another level. If you're debating between formats, do the audiobook. Trust me on this one.
I've been a Tom Felton girly since I was twelve years old. I'm a huge fan. I've seen nearly everything he's been in. So going into this, I already thought I knew a lot about him; but I was wrong. This book gave so much insight into just how busy this man has been all these years. The sheer volume of work he's done, the projects, the traveling, the constant grind; it's honestly impressive and a little exhausting just hearing about it.
What really got me, though, was his honesty. Tom doesn't sugarcoat things. He's open about his struggles, including his battle with addiction, which was genuinely shocking to me. I never would have guessed. He talks about it with such vulnerability and zero self-pity that it makes you respect him even more. It's not a woe-is-me story—it's a "here's what happened, here's what I learned" story, and that's what makes it so powerful.
The whole book has this self-deprecating, cheeky charm that is just so him. He doesn't take himself too seriously, which makes the heavier moments hit even harder because you're not expecting them. The behind-the-scenes Harry Potter stories are obviously a highlight; getting a peek into that world from his perspective is gold for any fan of the franchise. But what surprised me was how much I loved the non-Harry Potter parts too. His childhood, his family, his misadventures; it's all told with this warmth and humor that makes you feel like you're hanging out with him.
If you're a Tom Felton fan, this is required reading (or listening—seriously, the audiobook). If you're a Harry Potter fan curious about the person behind Draco Malfoy, you'll get so much out of this. And if you just love a good memoir that's equal parts funny, heartfelt, and real, this one delivers on all fronts.
Love it
Lots of things I didn’t know about him
Incredible story.
Amazing read