She's doing Harry Potter's Goblet of Fire!
Youre doing another Harry Potter?
Shirley Henderson: The next one, yeah, I start filming the next one soon. Moaning Myrtle.
Is Harry Potter just a big special effects machine?
Shirley Henderson: It is, yeah. My stuff is obviously special effects because Im being a ghost, but I do have to do all this flying through the air, in these awful contraptions, and its rigorous, its quite hard work.
Youre in the fourth but no the third?
Shirley Henderson: Myrtles not in the third, but she pops up in Harrys bath in the fourth one.
Is it a smaller or bigger role than Chamber of Secrets?
Shirley Henderson: I dont know because I havent seen a script yet. Im waiting on that to arrive.
How do you play a little girl when youre 37?
Shirley Henderson: Its just how people see you. I think age doesnt come into acting. I think its how you look, and how you look on screen, how your bodys changing, how your face is developing, how each casting director sees you. I mean, obviously I would never get a 14-year-old who wasnt a ghost. I wouldnt have been a real schoolgirl in Harry Potter. Its ridiculous. Its only because shes a ghost, and shes quite pale, and has a strange voice, and shes old and everything, so with that, thats a one-off, thats a different thing altogether. But its how people see you, and who they cast you with, who is cast opposite, its not really about how old you are.
How important is it to be a part of Harry Potter as far as British culture goes?
Shirley Henderson : I dont know how important it is, but I feel very lucky. I feel very privileged. Its surprising to me top be a part of something like that. I cant quite believe it really.
Many Brits identify its place as the biggest English cultural thing.
Shirley Henderson : Its very, very nice to be a part of it.
~ Fred Topel