Emma Watson got ‘extra excited’ when filming Harry Potter with Tom Felton

Emma Watson has admitted she got “extra excited” on days when she knew co-star Tom Felton would also be on-set filming Harry Potter with her.

The actress, famous for her role as Hermione Granger, said she was often able to feel “vulnerable” with Felton, who played blonde-haired villain Draco Malfoy.

Watson made the admission during a HBO Max special which sees her reunited with other members of the original cast on the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.

British Independent Film Awards 2012 – London
The actress, famous for her role as Hermione Granger, said she was often able to feel vulnerable with Felton (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

She recalled: “I walked into the room where we were having tutoring, the assignment we had been given was to draw what you thought God looked like.

“Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard and I just don’t know how to say it, I just fell in love with him.”

Watson, who is also known for her activism, said: “I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, he was number seven, and if his number was on the call sheet it was an extra exciting day.

“He was three years above me, and so for him he was like you’re like my little sister.”

She added: “I think Tom was the one I could often be more vulnerable with.

“Nothing has ever, ever, ever happened romantically with us, we just love each other. That’s all I can say about that.”

Felton said that he had been aware that his castmate had a “crush” on him, but that he had become “protective” over Watson.

“Emma and I have always loved each other,” he said.

“I think I was in the hair and make-up chair and someone said something along the lines of she had a crush on you.

“I became very protective over her, I have always had a soft spot for her and that continues to the day.

Harry Potter  Disney Channel Kids awards
Felton said that he had been aware that his castmate had a ‘crush’ on him (Andy Butterton/PA)

“There has always been something like, I don’t know, a kinship.”

During the special, Return To Hogwarts, other cast members also discussed their experiences as hormonal and “self-conscious” teenagers.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the eponymous boy wizard, said he and Watson had given each other “prep and coaching” on interactions with the opposite sex.

“If she was texting a boy or I was texting a girl I would be like ‘she’s sent me this many kisses back what do I do this is a nightmare’,” he said.

“That film (Goblet Of Fire) was probably peak hormone at least for me. It was exactly what you would expect.

Graham Norton Show – London
Daniel Radcliffe said he and Watson had given each other ‘prep and coaching’ (Graham Norton show/PA)

“We were a bunch of very self-conscious teenagers.”

Rupert Grint, who played red-haired Ron Weasley, said: “It was a very interesting film in terms of a lot of hormones flying around.”

Hapless Neville Longbottom actor Matthew Lewis added: “There were a lot of crushes and people went out with each other and broke up just like I used to do in school.

“It was exactly the same environment, but it was just in a defence against the dark arts class.”

The highly anticipated retrospective special will be released on Sky and streaming service Now on January 1, 2022.