EVANNA GOES HARRY POTTY JUGGLING SCHOOL AND MOVIE WORK

Young Irish beauty Evanna Lynch has confessed that juggling her acting work on the Harry Potter movie series with her school studies is a hard lesson to learn.
The Co. Louth teenager, who is plays Luna Lovegood in the hit flicks, has revealed that her school friends back home in Drogheda envy her because she only has three hours of tutoring a day while filming – but, she insists, it's harder than they think.
“We have school tutors on the set and we have to do three hours a day minimum with them,” said 17-year-old Evanna, who is currently studying for her Leaving Cert.
“Everyone in my school thinks that makes me lucky but it’s not true at all. It’s one to one tutoring, so it’s quite intense and they really make sure we get our tutoring in. It’s kind of hard to combine the tutoring with the film work. It’s hard to focus on both sometimes.”
Evanna has just left home to join fellow cast members Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley, and Matt Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom, to go on a gruelling multi-country tour helping to promote the latest instalment of the boy magician movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which is out around the globe in July.
“I can’t wait,” she says. “I think I’ll attend premières in Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland and other places.”
Evanna first found stardom when she was cast in the 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but the teenager has not let her fame go to her head.
“My life really hasn’t changed as much as you’d imagine,” she told reporters in the United States. “I mean, more people recognise you, and in Ireland that’s especially true because it’s so small. Over there everyone knows you.
“But people in Ireland enjoy their famous actors, their claims to fame, but I don’t think they get too fazed by it, you know? My family and friends are exactly the same as they were, and life is normal. I’m still working away, still doing my Leaving Cert and all that, you know?”
Evanna may find herself in hot water by revealing some of the film's closely guarded secrets.
Talking about her eccentric character, who is beloved by Potter fans, she said: “Luna doesn’t change but her position changes in this new film. Most people are aware of her reputation for being crazy. She’s certainly picked on by the other students.
“As in any school people are reluctant to be close to that kind of person. Or to be seen to be close to her. But Harry is a lot more comfortable with himself in this film. He’s not as conscious of what people think of him or he just doesn’t care now.
“He accepts Luna and he calls her a friend and she’s thrilled. She helps Harry to see sense when he gets caught up in his struggles. She reminds him who he is.”
According to studio insiders Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the darkest chapter of author J.K. Rowling's series and in it Luna remains steadfast as both a defender of the wizarding world and as a comfort to Harry in his most difficult hour.
Evanna says the new film remains faithful to the book and her character.
“Luna seems small and young and not noted for being brave, and yet she is,” Evanna insists. “She’s really calm though, she doesn’t get surprised by anything, and she accepts people’s differences.
“In fact J.K. Rowling told me as a character she’s the most adjusted to the idea of death in the whole series. That cuts out a lot of fear for her. She tries to impress it on Harry. She’ll take it as it comes.”
Evanna has big ideas for her acting future once the Harry Potter movies come to an end. The young star wants to tread the boards working in the theatre.
“I’m completely fascinated by the theatre,” she says.
Talking about London's theatre district, she went on: “I love going to the West End to see the shows. It’s acting without all the hype attached to it. Actors are given more fee reign, you know?
“I just love watching one person on a stage holding the whole audience captivated. Whereas in film you’re very protected, you can mess up, you have that freedom and you can always ask to do it again.”
Between working on the Potter movies, Evanna returns to her normal life in Drogheda and a touch of normality before the process starts all over again.
She says: “I like Ireland and I have loads of friends there but I think I want to move to London when I’m older because there’s a lot more to do and I do find it more freeing.
“I think in Ireland a lot of the time I feel boxed in. In Ireland you really have to break out to do acting, but in England -- and in London in particular -- it’s more accepted. Anything can happen there. You can never be bored.
“But Ireland is nice to come back to, too. We live in the country here and you feel so detached from the world, and that’s quite nice.”
Evanna admits that she has been taught a lot thanks to landing a role in the Potter flicks.
She says: “I think Luna is very sure of herself and comfortable with who she is, whereas I am more like most people in that I can get preoccupied with what people think of me. I worry about that when really it doesn’t matter because that’s just someone else’s perception, you know? Luna inspires me to not let it affect me as much.
“The best part of this experience has been meeting the people who were idols. That has been great because they are amazing people and they do achieve so much though working so hard. But they’re so normal as well and they don’t have airs and you see all sides of them.
“I used to be afraid to appear on the film set because I felt I was not ready and what would I do, you know? But I learned that they don’t expect you to be perfect, and that was a great thing to learn. Just to be a part of the film is thrilling, because I’ve always been a huge fan of the books, and now I can say I did my part for it.”
Evanna has let another Harry Potter secret slip as well.
She says: “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, because it might get me in trouble. But there’s this big thing among people who are fans of the books. It’s a thing they do as fans called ‘shipping,’ which is short for relationship.
“The fans create ideal pair-ups based on the books. There are some really crazy ones. I don’t know if I should say.
“But some people think Luna and Professor Dumbledore would make a great pair in another universe. I mean obviously he’s far too old for her, but their personalities completely match. They’re calm and accepting and quirky and I think they’re both really creative. I’d say they’d be fun together.”
As Evanna prepares for her big trip around Europe, her revelations will hardly harm Harry Potter's magic for his legion of fans.