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Shirley Henderson Reveals She Auditioned for Moaning Myrtle at 37

Her account in the Independent describes a casting process that concealed her age.

Overview

  • Henderson says a casting director encouraged her to try for the 14-year-old role and told her not to disclose her age.
  • She arrived in a schoolgirl outfit for the first audition, calling the exercise “ridiculous.”
  • After months with no news, the production contacted her agent for a second meeting and then offered her the part.
  • She explains the character’s ghostly look and “old person in a young person’s body” concept made the age gap less visible on screen.
  • She recalls staying largely unrecognized after the films and notes she had an established career before Harry Potter, including Trainspotting and Topsy-Turvy.