Emma Watson's Double Speaks Out About Being on 'Harry Potter' Set, Reveals Famed Scene She Was in (Exclusive)

Almost every child wanted to be a wizard after the first Harry Potter film came out in 2001.

Flick Miles had the real experience. Miles, now 35, was cast as Emma Watson's body double when she was 9. At the time, the owner of the drama club she attended mentioned that she resembled Watson, who was hired to play Hermione Granger. Before long, Miles landed the job as her double.

Miles talks exclusively with PEOPLE about her experience on set of the beloved fantasy films before leaving show business behind.

Every day, Miles went to school with the other child actors, took classes, and then stepped in for scenes. They would frequently be in their full Harry Potter costumes during school, making for quite the interesting classroom dynamic.  

Between filming, the kids would mess around and explore the soundstages, playing capture the flag and hide-and-seek in the famed Chamber of Secrets and other notable locations on set.

As a double for Watson's Hermione, Miles could be called upon for scenes showing only the back of her head, just a shot of her hand, or "a whole range of things." 

"If it was something they needed more detail on, they might get me to come down to help line up the shots or rehearse something," Miles recalls. "They would use us to help choreograph things, and if there was anything that didn't show Hermione's face, it might be behind, over the shoulder, or Hermione scanning library books. They might be using your hand. They could use me for that."

Miles can still point out a few scenes that might be her instead of Watson when watching the first three movies, but her memory has become a bit fuzzy over the years.

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"I've just forgotten stuff over time, but when the films first came out, I could tell when scenes were me because you remember filming it, and the shot never results in seeing Emma's face. I would know that's me, and I'd know I've been there."

However, one of Miles' most memorable moments was wearing full cat makeup for the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Hermione takes a polyjuice potion and transforms into another student's furry friend.

"They used me for that part, which was a bit different," she reveals. "Emma slightly reacted to the glue they used to fix the makeup on. I got an amazing experience working with the creature effects team, and filming that scene was fun."

Miles recently found a VCR of the makeup trial runs, where they tried out different versions of the cat face paint and prosthetics before landing on the final look. Miles says she loved working with the makeup team and seeing how they came up with the final product.

"We had to do a few show-and-tells, and they had different colors of cats because initially, they had this most beautiful ginger cat that was red and gorgeous," she recalls. "Director Chris Columbus said, 'No, that is a way too pretty cat. This character is going to have a gray cat, slightly like a less gorgeous look.' "

Miles filmed the first three Harry Potter movies as Watson's double, then returned for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as an extra for the Yule Ball scene. After Miles finished filming the franchise, she went back to school, where she studied to be a journalist.

Even though Miles left the entertainment industry, she started a Harry Potter-themed podcast in 2020. She uses the show to reconnect with people she worked with on the films, as they all reflect on their shared experiences on set.

"That's what I love about Harry Potter is you truly believe it exists. It's a testament to the crew, which is why I love speaking to them, because a huge part of it is down to their talents," she says. "You could go to the Scottish Highlands and find Hogwarts there, it could exist."