The latest instalment in the Fantastic Beasts spinoff film series, titled The Secrets of Dumbledore, is making its way to theaters in three days. To celebrate his third consecutive outing in the Wizarding World, Eddie Redmayne recently discussed the valuable lesson Newt Scamander’s journey taught him as early as the first film.
In a chat with Digital Spy, the actor talked about playing Newt and how he is different from his real-life personality.
“I adore Newt, and there are many things that I love about him. I love that he’s an incredibly empathetic person. He looks for the good in people. He’s also very happy in his own company, and in the company of creatures. He is someone that enjoys silence. I’m someone that, in my anxiety, tends to feel too many words.”
As for whether this adoration and deep understanding of the character gave him insights into his own life, The Theory of Everything star revealed the “various epithets” of the young wizard that he tries to live by.
“One is that worrying means you suffer twice, which was in the first movie,” he continued. “I am a great worrier and I always tell myself that if the horrendous thing is going to happen, there’s no point worrying about it as it’s going to happen anyway and then you’re just going to have doubled your pain.”
Wiser words have never been said about the folly of anxiety, and while this wisdom is definitely one of those things that are easier said than done, it sounds as though the realization was a transformative experience for Redmayne.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third entry in the planned five-movie saga, will open in U.K. theaters on April 8 and in the United States on April 15.