Freeform's Harry Potter weekend. For some is a cringeworthy string of words and means they won't be watching Freeform for the next four days. For others like myself it means I will be watching nothing but Freeform because I can't get enough of these films and the story lines in them. However, this time they had an added in bonus at midnight where the character Draco Malfoy better known as the actor Tom Felton had a mini documentary on meeting Superfans.
As I watched this documentary unfold it gave me a different perspective on how celebrities handle fans. It starts out with Tom trying to understand what his super fan wants from him. She always seems to know where he is and shows up without hesitation no matter what the case may be. As a person I can see how unnerving that would be. But as a celebrity it seems like this is part of the job. It also strikes me as extremely dangerous.
There are countless stories of celebrities meeting a fan or letting them get too close in their lives and they wind up dead. Not knowing the stability of the people you are interacting with and their level of obsession with you would be enough reason for me to never leave the house.
But as the journey progresses there was a defining line that came from a conversational moment between Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton. Dan mentions he is more comfortable with fans who are obsessed with the Harry Potter story, world, and even the character he represents in the films than he is with fans who are obsessed with him as Daniel Radcliffe.
Which seemed to be the underlying difference for the fans that Tom was meeting with. While most are Superfans of the books and films it is the storyline that helped these people in immense ways whether that was an escape from bullying or a serious bout of depression. The fans would repeatedly comment on if they meet a person who portrayed a character in the films it's their gratitude for bringing that story to life for them; it isn't about the actors themselves. In Tom's case he finds out that his Superfan just likes feeling like part of a family.
Overall the documentary gives you some extra food for thought and a different perspective through the lives of those who played these characters. Definitely worth the watch if you love the Harry Potter series or have an obsession with a different series
