In an interview with Collider at CinemaCon during the week, Dan Fogler spoke about his audition process to secure the role of Jacob Kowalski:
You can read the full transcript by clicking ‘Continue’ below:
Collider: Legitimately I am so happy that you nailed this role and that you’re in this movie, how is it for you? What does it mean to be in the Harry Potter universe?
Dan: I mean, I’m one very small cog in this massive machine, man, I mean it’s just like, it’s a gigantic beast in itself and to be part of it is overwhelming. It’s a dream come true. Me, very much Dan Fogler coming to this role is very much like my character Jacob Kowalski coming into this magical world – I’m as in awe as he is. It’s very much playing close to home for me.
Collider: I heard through the grapevine that they had a tough time trying to find the actor to play your role and that when they so you, they were like ‘this is the guy’. So, talk a little bit about the audition or, going in to get this role
Dan: Surreal. The process was I went in and I auditioned in New York and I did it and I was like…I went in there in like a costume, a patchwork hat and suspenders, and I didn’t look right at all but I felt right, ya know? I went in there and I was like ‘I nailed it. I fkn nailed it, man’. And I got out of there and I didn’t hear anything and then I forgot about it & it’s like the old thing where the ‘train always comes when you light your cigarette’, as soon as I forgot about it they were like ‘man they want to see you again’, so I flew out to London and I did the screen test with Eddie and Alison and I felt really good about it. Actually, no, I went to L.A and there was another test and they were just like we love you, we really like you, and then nothing happened! I was like ‘what is going on?’! So, I saw that they were auditioning all these other guys that I’m always in competition with and I was just ‘awh man, it was close’ and then I went out to London and did the screen test and they were like ‘okay, we’re going to look at a lot more people, and then if we do call you it’ll be another screen test’. I was like, damn! So then I went to ComicCon and I’m hocking my Brooklyn Gladiator [comic] like ashcan books, like the hunchback of Notre Dame, just sweating my nuts off, and then I get this call –
Collider: While you’re at ComicCon?
Dan: While I’m at ComicCon! So I’m walking up and the throngs of people are coming and I’m like, a salmon swimming up-stream, then, I get this call and, I’m feeling so ugh, farty about myself, and then my agent says [on the phone] ‘hey, where are you right now, man?’ and I’m like ‘I’m at ComicCon’, he’s like ‘Well ComicCon’s going to be a lot different next year’. It was a magical…cause I was expecting them to say that we need another screen test but they said no, you got the part. That was a long story!
Collider: So what was it like filming this thing because I’ve seen some stills and it just looks like it’s going to be a really cool movie
Dan: Yeah, I’m excited to see it. They recreated half of New York city in the 20’s in Leavesden in London, in the studio. They made New York. People like Jon Voight walking around just being like ‘Holy Moly!’ Like, when Jon Voight is walking around just amazed, you know you’re on a big movie, and he’s been in some whoppers. People were saying, from the smallest person on the crew to the biggest person, everyone was like this is the biggest movie we’ve ever worked on.
Collider: Going back into this world, even in a different way, what do you think is going to surprise people about the script and the story, because J.K, she wrote it.
Dan: What’s cool about is that the source material is, she wrote the origin of how this text book was made, essentially. Fantastic Beasts and Newt Scamander’s journey about how he created this book. So, they won’t be judging it, they’ll just be able to enjoy it, they won’t be comparing it a source material, they’ll just be saying this is more awesome universe to digest. It takes place in America so the accents are different and instead of Muggles there’s No-Majs. How do you feel about the whole No-Maj thing?
Collider: I firmly believe in whatever she’s creating. I think that she’s proven herself over all these books and movies that she’s really fkn smart, so whatever she wants to do I’m on board
Dan: She is really smart, man, and she’s excited about it too. To talk to her about it, she’s excited to share this with everybody
Collider: Let me stop there because I think you’ve to go to a presentation. Do you know what they’re showing at CinemaCon?
Dan: At CinemaCon they’re showing a trailer and some behind-the-scenes from the movie and you’ll be able to see some new aspects of it that havn’t been seen before. I’m excited.
The second Fantastic Beasts trailer was released last week, which you can view right here.
