In a surprising revelation that has captivated Harry Potter fans, actress Shirley Henderson has confessed she secured the role of a teenage ghost while being decades older than the character.
The Casting Secret
Shirley Henderson, now 59, was 37 years old when she auditioned for the part of Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which was released in 2002. The character she portrayed is a ghost of a 14-year-old Hogwarts student who haunts the girls' bathrooms.
Speaking to the Independent, Henderson disclosed her unique technique for landing the role. The casting director, Karen Lindsay-Stewart, gave her crucial advice: 'Go for it – and don’t mention your age.' The actress, who has always looked younger than her years, admitted she wasn't initially convinced she could play a teenager but decided to trust the director's guidance.
To fully commit to the illusion, Henderson attended her audition dressed as a schoolgirl. 'So I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl — white shirt, black skirt, ponytail — thinking, “This is ridiculous”,' she recalled. After her audition, months passed without word, leading her to believe she hadn't gotten the part. However, the production eventually called her agent and offered her the role.
Why It Worked
Henderson believes several factors allowed her to convincingly play a character so much younger. Firstly, her naturally youthful appearance meant many people didn't recognise her as being in her late thirties.
More importantly, she credits the ethereal nature of her ghostly character. 'Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body and because she’s ghosty, there’s a kind of mistiness,' Henderson explained to Radio Times last week. 'You’re not looking closely at my face so we could get away with it.'
The actress also shared that she was remarkably unfamiliar with the Harry Potter phenomenon when she signed on. 'When I was first asked for an audition, I didn’t know who Harry Potter was,' she confessed. It was her sister, who had read the books, who provided her initial context.
Life After Hogwarts
Despite the global success of the Harry Potter franchise, Henderson managed to maintain a surprisingly low profile. 'I don’t think anybody recognised me at all,' she admitted, noting that her fame remained manageable even after the film's release.
Her career, however, has been extensive and varied. In the year before her Potter debut, she stepped into the role of Jude in the Bridget Jones films, playing Bridget's best friend—a woman in her thirties. She has appeared in all films of that franchise.
Her other notable credits include television series such as Happy Valley, Hamish Macbeth, and The Way We Live Now. She also ventured into the Star Wars universe, providing the voice of Babu Frik in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
More recently, audiences have seen her in the Netflix thriller Dept. Q and the acclaimed drama I Swear. Her diverse career demonstrates a remarkable range beyond the ghostly confines of the Hogwarts bathrooms.
