I Just Found Out Harry Potter’s Moaning Myrtle Actress Was In Her 30s When She Auditioned, And She Recalled How ‘Ridiculous’ It Was

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The Harry Potter films are incredibly popular and many people enjoy watching them again and again on HBO Max. We watched the main actors grow up on screen, though some were already adults during filming. I recently learned that the actress who played Moaning Myrtle was in her thirties while filming, and she recently shared the story of her unique audition.

Myrtle is a well-remembered character from the Harry Potter series who first appeared in The Chamber of Secrets. Interestingly, despite playing a ghost who is eternally 14 years old, the actress who portrayed her, Shirley Henderson, was actually in her 30s. She discussed the challenge of playing such a young character in an interview with Radio Times, saying:

I have to admit, when I first got the call for an audition, I was completely clueless about Harry Potter. Thankfully, my sister, who was living with me at the time, was a huge fan and filled me in. Honestly, I was pretty skeptical I could pull off a 14-year-old – I was already in my thirties! But I had a chat with the casting director, Karen Lindsay-Stewart, and she reassured me, saying they didn’t even know my age.

It’s hard to believe anyone hasn’t heard of Harry Potter, considering the franchise includes films, theme parks, video games, and a play. However, when Shirley Henderson auditioned for the role of Moaning Myrtle, she wasn’t given any information about the character’s age – it was kept a secret from her during the audition process.

HBO Max offers streaming access to the Harry Potter series and a wide range of other movies, shows, and documentaries. Subscriptions start at $10.99 per month for the Basic With Ads plan. See the deal here.

Even so, she knew she’d appear older than the younger actors starring in Harry Potter. When she auditioned for The Chamber of Secrets, she carefully chose her outfit to try and look younger, as she later explained.

I remember going to the audition feeling a bit silly – I’d dressed up as a schoolgirl, complete with a white shirt, black skirt, and ponytail. I did my audition, they said thanks, and honestly, I figured that was the end of it. But then, months later, my agent called with incredible news: they wanted to see me again, and they were offering me the role! It was such a surprise.

Just like celebrities such as Zendaya who dress the part to promote their work, choosing outfits that fit a character can be helpful when auditioning for roles. For example, Henderson used clothing to demonstrate she could convincingly play a character in their thirties. And clearly, it worked – she was perfect for the part! She later explained how she managed to succeed, saying:

Myrtle feels much older than she looks, and because she’s quite pale, it’s easy to overlook her age. It’s unlikely anyone would really scrutinize her face, so she can often get away with appearing younger than she is.

One of the most intriguing casting choices I’m looking forward to in the new Harry Potter TV series is Moaning Myrtle. From what I’ve heard, this adaptation is aiming for much greater fidelity to the books, which means we could see a lot more of Myrtle than we did in the films. That said, whoever lands the role has a tough act to follow – it’s a character that really needs to be just right.

You can currently watch the Harry Potter films on HBO Max. A new TV series based on the books is planned, but it won’t likely arrive until 2027, meaning fans will have to wait a bit longer than expected.

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2025-11-25 02:09