EXCLUSIVE: EastEnders actress Danielle Harold has revealed she once waited 11 hours to audition for a Harry Potter film role – only to be left gutted when the gates closed before her turn
Former EastEnders star Danielle Harold has revealed she once spent 11 hours queuing for a chance to land a role in the Harry Potter films – only to be turned away at the last minute.
The actress, 33, who played Lola Pearce on the BBC soap, said she was desperate to appear in the magical movie series when she was younger and jumped at the chance to audition after spotting an advert in the newspaper.
But despite waiting for hours alongside hundreds of other hopefuls, Danielle never even made it through the gates. Recalling the heartbreaking moment, she exclusively said in collaboration with WhichBingo: “When I was a kid I queued for 11 hours for Harry Potter auditions, it was for Luna Lovegood.”
Danielle admitted she was completely obsessed with the wizarding world as a youngster and dreamed of following in the footsteps of the film’s stars.
“I was the biggest Harry Potter fan,” she explained. “I was already an embedded wizard anyways, running around my house with a cloak on.”
The open casting call for the beloved character Luna Lovegood attracted huge crowds of young fans hoping to land their big break on the big screen.
And Danielle was convinced it could be her ticket into acting.
“I saw a little ad in the paper, I thought ‘This is it, this is how I’m going to be an actress!’” she said.
But after hours of waiting, things didn’t quite go to plan.
Despite being so close to the front of the line, Danielle revealed the opportunity slipped through her fingers at the last moment.
“But I was one of the last ones in the line and then the gate shut on me,” she said. “I was gutted!”
Although she missed out on the magical role, which eventually went to actress Evanna Lynch, Danielle still went on to carve out a hugely successful acting career.
She became a household name thanks to her role as Lola Pearce in EastEnders, where her character’s heartbreaking cancer storyline moved millions of viewers.
The emotional plot earned widespread praise and cemented Danielle as one of the soap’s standout stars.
Since leaving Albert Square, Danielle has continued to land major TV roles and remains a firm fan favourite.
And while she may never have made it into the wizarding world of Harry Potter, the actress can certainly laugh about the moment now.
After all, not many stars can say their acting journey began with an 11-hour queue and a wizard cloak.
