French to star in Harry Potter film
Comic Dawn French has landed a big role in the third Harry Potter film – as a character called the Fat Lady.
The roly-poly star will appear in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which began filming last month.
French recently sent up the Potter films in a Comic Relief spoof in which she played the schoolboy wizard.
Now she will appear in the real thing as the Fat Lady, who features in a talking painting at Hogwarts school.
Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter movies and co-producer of the third, told BBC3’s Liquid News: “Yes, Dawn French is playing the Fat Lady. I’ve been here for three years and fell in love with her work.
“I think she’s incredibly funny and her Harry Potter spoof for Comic Relief was pretty amazing.”
French is not the first Comic Strip star to bag a part in the films.
Her co-star Rik Mayall was cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone but his performance ended up on the cutting room floor.
The second film in the JK Rowling series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is launched on DVD and video in Ireland on Friday.
