Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

SHY and softly spoken 14 year-old EVANNA LYNCH plays Luna Lovegood, the free spirited, but fiercely loyal friend to Harry and determined member of Dumbledore's Army.

Evanna flew from her home near Dublin and travelled to London to come face to face with 15,000 other young hopefuls at an open audition.

But casting director Fiona Weir knew as soon as she saw her that "there was only one Luna". And just a few short weeks later, Evanna joined the production in the role.

When not filming, Evanna enjoys spending time at home, particularly with her family pets, which include a cat called Luna and a kitten named Dumbledore.

Q: What was it like to be a fan and then be on the set?

A: It was this feeling the whole time like I shouldn't be here among all these stars, these professionals. I was trying to keep my distance because I wanted to watch everyone. They want you to be at home and be part of it, and it became normal very quickly. I know I had been prepared, thinking, it's going to be like this, but that was more of a fantasy.

I was a bundle of nerves. I didn't expect that because during the screen test, I was fine, I was ready. I thought I'd be holding everyone up because I didn't know the ropes, but you do a few takes and got used to it.

Q: What was it about Luna that made you think, that's the part for me'.

A: It was just because she was happy, she's got everything sorted out, she's kind of like Dumbledore - she doesn't need anyone. She's happy being free. I wish I was as free as that.

Watching the movies, I always thought it would be so cool to be in Harry Potter and to make that your job, but before Order of the Phoenix, I didn't know who I'd be so I thought I'll just watch.

Then 2003, 21 st of June, that was her - I wanted to go for Luna. I'm not one to sit around and wait for fate to do things so I got my friends and made a tape. They played Harry and Ron - they were very good about it, very patient - and I sent that away. That never came of anything because they can't deal with individual applications because they get so many but I did get a letter the same day I went on Mugglenet and there was a post saying open auditions for Luna Lovegood.

Q: J K Rowling knows you from your fan letters and has apparently said that she thinks you'll be great in the part - that must be a thrill?

A: If she's happy with you playing one of her characters, that's an honour. She still hasn't seen it, she'd just going from meeting me so I'm really scared. I'm always picturing the moment after she's seen it and I've had nightmares where she just walks away. I don't want to know what the Potter fans think of me - there's always going to be someone who won't like it - and that'll just upset me. If I'm happy with it, it just matters if I've done my little vision of Luna.

Q: I understand you're a fan of Tim Burton - it must be a dream then that it's also Tim's partner Helena Bonham Carter's first Harry film?

A: I was so shy about that. Sometimes she'd be in make-up chair beside me and I was thinking of what to say to her, and then she'd get up and leave. I didn't want to go, oh, I love your husband!' Or partner or whatever. I told her and then she said, oh, you'll have to come for tea sometime'. I don't know how I'd deal with that. Hopefully, he'll be at the premiere.

There was a girl playing Bellatrix before Helena but she got pregnant and I'd never met her but they all said good things about her. When they said Helena was playing her, I was really excited and I thought she'd be perfect. She's so wonderful and she gets really into the part.

One time on set she had to hold Matthew by the hair and she got so into it that she put a wand into his ear and it was bleeding. And he was deaf for two days! Just in one ear though.

Once it was her son's birthday and she brought in all these cakes she'd made. So she's not Bellatrix!

Imelda as Umbridge is perfect. Ah, she makes you laugh so much. I didn't see a lot of her scenes, but in one, she's making a boring horrible speech and she'd say something awful and make a little squeaky laugh. Like Helena, she's so different in real life. She was the most friendly of the adults, always asking how you are.

Q: Have you any thoughts on what will happen in book seven?

A: Voldemort is going to die and Harry is going to live and he's going to die. He'll go through the department of mysteries on All Hallows Eve.

I hope they'll come back into the living world. He hasn't had a very fun life and he needs a few years free of Voldemort.

I wouldn't want to get book seven in advance. Sometimes talking to Jo, I'd ask her questions and think actually, no I don't want to know!

Credit to Basingstoke Gazette