Goyle From Harry Potter Is My Oldest Friend

I grew up with Harry Potter. Being the same age as the boy wizard when the first book came out, it was easy for me to identify with him. So began my love affair with all things Hogwarts. I was hooked from the get go and craved each new chapter in the saga as if it were a drug.

My mum even got me a 1st editionChamber of Secrets signed by J.K. herself, but one of my friends scribbled over the signature and now I've no idea where that is. That would be worth around £12,000 now—oh well. The fact is, few books had so completely captured my young imagination

Then something crazy happened.

I've known Josh Herdman since I was 5 and we were best friends throughout primary and secondary school. When Josh got the call he was going to play Goyle in the upcoming Harry Potter movie franchise, his life completely changed.

To be honest, I remember little of what our reactions were like. Certainly amazement would be part of it, but we were just kids. How can a child process that kind of massive change in fate and fortune? I guess it's kind of like suddenly being strapped into a rollercoaster.

Because of our close friendship, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the premier of the first Harry Potter film. Boy did that blow my teenage mind! It was a veritable bonanza, complete with red carpet, goodie bags, magicians, and a fancy dinner.

I also got to visit the set when they were making the first film, which I remember to this day. They were shooting the scene where the boats approach Hogwarts across the lake. A giant green screen was set up along with a tank of shallow water—I'd never seen anything like it.

Can you imagine what it would have been like for any of these kids, not least the main 3, to have your life completely upturned; to be out of traditional school for most of the year and have fame hoisted on you? I certainly can't.

There's a tendency to view this in positive terms, assuming anyone would be grateful for the opportunity, The truth is more nuanced. How can a teenager be expected to process that degree of financial gain and attention? There's a reason Daniel Radcliffe struggled with alcohol.

Now, under more pressure than people realize (or some have given him credit for) Josh has become a wonderful human being. He has MMA victories under his belt, many great acting performances, and an amazing family he loves dearly.

I've never seen Josh as Goyle. I've just seen a treasured friend who was there during the most formative times in my life—watching Goodfellas for the first time, trying our first cigarette, making a short film together, and generally getting up to mischief!

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