Did Jason Isaacs try to steal from Harry Potter sets? (Photo Credit – Prime Video)
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There was a certain mischief that lurked behind the grandeur of the Harry Potter sets, an unspoken game of sneaky souvenir hunting that added another layer of excitement to the magic behind the scenes.
Jason Isaacs, the man who brought the formidable Lucius Malfoy to life, found himself at the center of one such failed heist. It wasn’t a vault at Gringotts he attempted to rob, but something far simpler, a prop that had become an extension of his on-screen persona. His elegant walking stick, a symbol of Malfoy’s aristocratic menace, had grown on him over time.
It was no surprise that he wanted to keep it but the attempt, however, was short-lived. Caught in the act, he was left empty-handed and that was just the beginning of his prop-related woes.
If Issacs couldn’t walk away with the cane, perhaps something else would suffice. The Daily Prophet, scattered by the thousands across the set, seemed a harmless enough choice and the director, David Yates, had even given him a casual nod of approval. Or so Isaacs thought.
“I once tried to take a copy of The Daily Prophet because there were thousands of them. I said I’d like one of those to director David Yates, who said, ‘No problem mate,’” he said. “I put it in my bag and when I got to the gates, they said, ‘David said can he have it back.’ It was so embarrassing. So I got nothing.”
Alan Rickman: The Master Thief
While Isaacs’ theft attempts were foiled at every turn, others moved like seasoned professionals and if there was a true mastermind among them, it was Alan Rickman.
Isaacs himself later admitted defeat in the face of Rickman’s effortless sleight of hand, saying, “It was very difficult to steal things because Alan (Rickman) god love him, god rest his soul. He nicked all of the Gringotts coins on the very first day he did Goblins and swiped in and out like a supermarket. I couldn’t get away with it.”
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Also Took Part in Minor Heists
Emma Watson, ever the bookish Hermione even in real life, ensured she took home a few treasures of her own. A wand, a Time-Turner, and even a cloak made their way into her possession, a fitting collection for someone who embodied the brightest witch of her age.
Meanwhile, Rupert Grint had a more peculiar memento in mind, the number 4 from Privet Drive’s iconic doorstep. He also had his eyes on a far grander prize: the golden dragon egg. But unlike Rickman’s effortless success, Grint’s attempt at smuggling the precious prop was thwarted. The egg was tracked down and reclaimed before he could even make his escape.
The list of actors-turned-thieves only grew longer, a testament to how much they cherished their time on set. Perhaps the most challenging role of all wasn’t that of an Auror or a Dark Lord, but rather the props master, whose job it was to ensure that the magical relics of Hogwarts remained firmly in place.
