Of course, we all know the stars of Harry Potter by now. The film series launched the careers of the most important child stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, but the films had much more to offer than the three protagonists.
The films were mainly set in the huge Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was packed with students. For this purpose, hordes of children were hired to act alongside the three main characters.
One of these child stars was Samantha Clinch. Samantha originally appeared as an extra, but later played the uncredited role of Eloise Midgen in both Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Today, Samantha is a presenter and shares the secrets of her time on the Harry Potter set on her TikTok channel.
Which Harry Potter extras were paid for?
First, Samantha said she made “a big leap in money” when she went from being a supporting role to the small role of Eloise Midgen.
She explained: “For comparison, Daniel Radcliffe got $11 million for ‘The Goblet of Fire’ – that’s nine and a half million pounds.”
Samantha revealed that the cast faced long 12-hour filming days that began at 5am, adding: “We were called for breakfast, to be in the waiting area outside the set at 5am, and then we set off on the bus in heavy traffic at rush hour.”
Then came the revelation: “Are you ready to know how much we got paid? £35 a day, £35.”
“That’s £2.91 an hour.”
However, that all changed when she landed the role of Eloise Midgen. Samantha said: “When I landed the role of Eloise Midgen, I honestly didn’t realise how much that day would change for me and my bank account when I joined the filming.
“We used to earn, like my friends, humble extras, £35 a day, so £2.91 an hour. When I got this role, I got £70 a day. They doubled it, they just doubled it.”
This time, however, she has no regrets, saying that £2.91 wasn’t bad overall and that the set felt like an all-inclusive package because of the meal allowance.
And all that food in the banquet hall? The kids actually ate it all, says Samantha, who added that it was “truly the most incredible time of my life.”
