Imagine dropping two of the most memorable lines in the whole franchise without ever being identified; such was Ekow Quartey’s destiny in Harry Potter.
Boy 1, also known as ‘Bad News Bem’, has become a beloved figure after taking the spotlight in just two scenes, but Ekow is now unrecognisable.
‘It’s like trying to catch smoke, like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands,’ he warned Harry after unveiling an ‘omen of death’ just moments before in Prisoner of Azkaban.
He dropped significant narrative lines with dramatic flair, which fans enjoyed, before disappearing from the film, never to be seen again.
It’s no surprise that the actor who gave us this incredible line delivery now performs at the National Theatre at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Ekow, now 33, disclosed his identify in a TikTok clip by the Globe, mocking his instantly identifiable 14-year-old self in his Hogwarts garb.
‘Oh you probably recognise me as the person in the artwork for Much Ado About Nothing,’ the caption reads as Ekow sits in full Elizabethan costume for his role as Benedick.
He lipsyncs to a sound, which says: ‘It can get weirder, I just washed my hands that’s why they’re wet…’
The video cuts to a shot from behind the actor, with a picture from the iconic divination scene as the sound continues: ‘No other reason.’
Fans loved the reveal with almost a million views on TikTok, as user Natalie Ronquillo wrote: ‘The boy who DELIVERED.’
Samantha Lewis added: ‘I have no doubt you’re a Shakespearean actor after you changed our lives with the most dramatic delivery in the entire HP series.’
Another fan, known as E, shared: ‘NAH BC U ATE THAT UPPPPPP 😩🫶’ to which the Globe responded: ‘MY Roman Empire.’
Even the official Harry Potter account added: ‘Lovely to see him working with my second favourite bard (after Beedle).’
‘Elite level Bard reference, two iconic worlds collide🤭,’ replied the theatre.
In his own Instagram bio, along with announcing his status as a qualified personal trainer, Ekow wrote: ‘Yes, I am the guy from Harry Potter!’
He has starred in several theatre performances since his role as Harbinger Bem, including The Witches, Peter Pan, As You Like It, and Shakespeare plays.
He has also starred in the popular drama Call the Midwife, Aisling Bea’s This Way Up, Becoming Elizabeth, and Breeders.
Ekow will play clever Benedick at London’s Globe Theatre beginning in April and running until August.
