Shirley Henderson Opens Up About Auditioning for a 14-Year-Old Role in Harry Potter at 37

Shirley Henderson.
Credit :

Murray Close/Getty; Hoda Davaine/WireImage

Need to Know

• The actress who portrayed 14-year-old Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was 37 years old at the time of auditioning.
• Henderson shared with The Independent, “The casting director said, ‘Go for it — and don’t mention your age.’”
• Despite her doubts about passing for someone half her age, she successfully secured the role.

In an intriguing revelation, actress Shirley Henderson, now 60, disclosed that she was 37 during her audition for the role of Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, being instructed to conceal her age.

Reflecting on the experience, Henderson recalled, “The casting director said, ‘Go for it — and don’t mention your age,’” while speaking to The Independent.

“When I was first asked for an audition, I didn’t know who Harry Potter was,” she remarked. “But my sister, who was staying with me, had read the books. Still, I wasn’t convinced I could play a 14-year-old girl because I was in my 30s at the time.”

Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle.

Warner Bros.

According to an article in Variety, Henderson arrived for her audition dressed in a school uniform—complete with a white shirt, black skirt, and ponytail—feeling somewhat out of place. “I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl — thinking, ‘This is ridiculous,’” she said. “I did my wee bit for them, and they thanked me.”

Months later, Henderson was surprised to receive a call from her agent asking her to audition again, ultimately leading to her casting as Moaning Myrtle. “Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body, and because she’s ghostly, there’s a kind of mistiness,” she explained. “You’re not looking closely at my face, so we could get away with it.”

After the film’s release, Henderson noted that her portrayal led her to be less recognizable than her younger co-stars, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who quickly rose to fame.

To date, the Harry Potter franchise includes seven books, eight films, and one play, with plans for a new spin-off series on television. In April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a new Harry Potter series that will adapt the books one season at a time, commencing with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

This upcoming series aims to deliver a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series,” according to an official release from Warner Bros. Discovery. The statement also emphasizes that the classic films will continue to be central to the franchise and remain accessible to global audiences.