Harry Potter fans have delivered theories on why they believe Tom Felton holds his hand behind his back on stage - and it may not be for the reason others claim.
Felton, who is best known for portraying antagonist Draco Malfoy in all eight Warner Bros. Harry Potter films, recently reprised his iconic role in the lauded Broadway play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The limited placement was recently extended due to demand through May 10 2026, offering film fans packed into New York City’s Lyric Theatre a ‘full-circle’ experience.
In The Cursed Child, the 38-year-old plays a significantly older version of his character who has become a single father, grieving the loss of his wife, with his first entrance onto the stage being met with thunderous applause from the audience.
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During the performance, Felton is often seen posing with one hand behind his back.
It’s usually the left, but footage shows he sometimes holds the right in the same manner, and fans around the globe have been speculating about why.
According to some videos posted via YouTube, the actor injured himself whilst filming the second Harry Potter flick, Chamber of Secrets.
The incident took place when Lucius Malfoy actor Jason Isaacs hit his hand with a serpent cane, delivering the legendary line: “Don’t touch anything, Draco.”
In an interview, the White Lotus star revealed he ‘didn't know how sharp the teeth were and it went right into little Tom's hand’.
"And he looked up and me and his eyes welled with tears. And I went 'Tom I'm so sorry I didn't realise how sharp they were',” he added, as per the Mirror.
Felton - who described working with Isaacs as a ‘real Jekyll and Hyde’ moment, due to his kind demeanour off screen - carried on filming the scene like a trooper.
The viral clips are seemingly convinced that the 23-year-old injury is the reason why the Fackham Hall actor is holding his arm behind his back during his Broadway debut.
But some YouTube users aren’t as reassured, as they’ve offered some alternative theories up instead.
“I thought it was bc he couldn’t get rid of the dark mark so that was his way of hiding it,” commented one theatre fan.
A second echoed: “Here I thought he was playing Draco as still upper-class pose while also subconsciously hiding his Dark Mark.”
Meanwhile, someone else remarked: “Isn’t he imitating Jason Issacs?”
“It's just a posture hack. If you look at refined or noble people, they often do this in shows,” a fourth claimed. “Posture makes you seem confident, which someone like Draco would care about.
“Ntm when you get older, it pulls your shoulder back, and you create your own lumbar support. If you don't believe me do it and watch your spine align and chin tuck. It's posture training.”
If you’re lucky enough to bag a ticket to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child live on Broadway, you’ll experience the gesture for yourself.
Ahead of starring in the stage production, Felton, who plays a 37-year-old version of Malfoy, claimed he was ‘a little nervous, but in the best way possible’.
“Anything that’s really truly worth doing you should be a little nervous about I think before doing it,” he added to E! News.
If you can’t make it to New York, the Epsom-born author has two upcoming movies, They Will Kill You and Canyon Del Muerto, directed by Coerte Voorhees.
Topics: Harry Potter, Celebrity, TV And Film, Social Media
Ella Scott