Exclusive Exposé: Revealing the Dark Truth Behind Harry Potter's On-Set Conditions & Staggeringly Low Wages

Summary

Former Harry Potter extra reveals harsh working conditions faced by child actors, including 12-hour days and low pay of $42 per day.

Concerns about the minimum wage laws for minors in the United States and UK arise from the low pay rate of $3.52 per hour for child actors.

The reputation of Harry Potter has been negatively impacted by J.K. Rowling's controversial remarks regarding transgender individuals, leading to potential boycotts of the upcoming HBO show adaptation.

A Harry Potter extra reveals shocking details about the filming process of the beloved movies. Since the first adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2001, the Harry Potter franchise has achieved immense success. It has even expanded with a prequel spinoff series called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which delves into the story of one of Harry's wizard ancestors.

In a TikTok video, Samantha Clinch, a former Harry Potter extra, uncovers the challenging working conditions that she and other child background actors had to endure. According to Clinch, they were expected to work extensive 12-hour days that commenced as early as 5:30 a.m. Watch her video below:

Whereas lead actor Daniel Radcliffe received a staggering $11 million for his work in Goblet of Fire, Clinch alleges that she was only paid a meager £35 per day or the equivalent of $42 per day. Doubting the legality of this compensation, the former child actor proceeded to question the fairness of her earnings. However, her fortunes turned around when she was later cast as Eloise Midgen, as her daily rates doubled.

Harry Potter’s Legacy Has Been Marred In Recent Years

While background actors never expect compensation close to that of the leads, there are shocking discoveries regarding the salaries of these Harry Potter actors. According to Clinch, their daily rates amount to only $3.52 per hour, which is significantly below both the United States and UK minimum wage during the early 2000s. Moreover, expecting child actors to work for 12 hours a day is an unreasonable demand. These revelations about the working conditions align with the recent Hollywood strikes, where the WGA and SAG-AFTRA protested for better working conditions, higher pay, and residuals. Although the WGA strike has ended, the SAG-AFTRA is now resuming negotiations with the studios.

The treatment of background actors is just one factor contributing to the decline of Harry Potter's reputation in recent years. J.K. Rowling, the author of the beloved childhood series, sparked controversy with discriminatory remarks against transgender individuals, tarnishing the image of the franchise. Rather than addressing the issue, Rowling has further exacerbated the situation by persistently expressing hateful views towards transgender people.

Rowling's personal controversies, combined with the demanding production process of Harry Potter, have greatly impacted the reputation of the franchise. Some individuals have even silently boycotted the upcoming HBO show adaptation of Harry Potter due to Rowling's involvement as an executive producer. It remains to be seen whether the show can overcome Rowling's controversy, but hopefully, it will create better working conditions than the original movies.

Source: Samantha Clinch/TikTok