Shirley Henderson may be beloved by fans for her unforgettable turn as Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but landing the role wasn’t as straightforward as swishing into a Hogwarts bathroom stall. In fact, the actor was 37 years old when she auditioned to play the eternally miserable 14-year-old ghost, and even she thought the idea was absurd.
Speaking to The Independent, Henderson revealed that the film’s casting director encouraged her to audition but offered one crucial instruction: “Go for it — and don’t mention your age.” At the time, Henderson didn’t even know who Harry Potter was; her sister, who happened to be staying with her, had to fill her in. Still, she was unconvinced. “I wasn’t convinced I could play a 14-year-old girl because I was in my 30s at the time,” she said.
One casting director, however, saw something in her, and notably kept her real age under wraps during the process.
“I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl — white shirt, black skirt, ponytail — thinking, ‘This is ridiculous,’” Henderson recalled. She did her reading, assumed it was a long shot, and went back to her life. Months later, she was stunned to learn she’d been called back and officially offered the part.
The filmmakers ultimately believed Henderson’s performance and Myrtle’s ghostly appearance made her age irrelevant. “Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body and because she’s ghosty, there’s a kind of mistiness,” Henderson explained. “You’re not looking closely at my face, so we could get away with it.”
While the main cast of young actors became global celebrities almost overnight, Henderson’s experience was far quieter. “I don’t think anybody recognized me at all,” she said, reflecting on the anonymity she maintained after the film’s release.
By the time she took on Myrtle, Henderson already had an impressive résumé, including Trainspotting and Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy, the latter earning her a London Film Critics Circle nomination. After Potter, she continued building a strong career with roles in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Marie Antoinette, Meek’s Cutoff, and more.