Harry Potter fans disturbed after realising actors’ ages in controversial bath scene

I don't know what it is about Christmas that makes Potterheads all over cosy up and kick off a movie marathon of all eight films in the Harry Potter franchise.

Whatever it is, it's clear that film lovers discover new things about the beloved movie franchise after every rewatch, with many now left quite shaken are only just realising the massive age gap between Daniel Radcliffe and the actress who played Moaning Myrtle in the bath scene.

The likes of Shirley Henderson, now 60, took on the ghostly role of the 14-year-old schoolgirl in 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Apparently, she landed the role after being advised by the movie’s casting director not to mention her age to others.

And why? Well, Henderson was 37 years old at the time - a whole 24 years older than the character she was auditioning to play!

When filming, Radcliffe, on the other hand, was 12 while his character was meant to similarly be 12, turning 13.

It seems Harry Potter fans are still learning about little-known BTS facts regarding the film franchise (Warner Bros.)

"The casting director said, 'Go for it — and don’t mention your age,'" Henderson revealed in a new interview with The Independent.

"When I was first asked for an audition, I didn’t know who Harry Potter was. But my sister, who was staying with me, had read the books. Still, I wasn’t convinced I could play a 14-year-old girl because I was in my 30s at the time."

Moaning Myrtle was played by Shirley Henderson, 60, who was 37 in Chamber of the Secrets (Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

According to Henderson, who has starred in a number of other box-office smash-hits, including Trainspotting, Bridget Jones's Diary and Wild Child, one of the film’s casting directors thought she was the right fit for the job and never revealed her age to the rest of the crew during the audition process.

"I went to the audition dressed as a schoolgirl - white shirt, black skirt, ponytail - thinking, 'This is ridiculous,'" the actress recalled. "I did my wee bit for them and they thanked me. Months went by and I thought that was it, but then they phoned my agent, asked to see me again, and offered me the part… Myrtle is an old person in a young person’s body and because she’s ghosty, there’s a kind of mistiness.

"You’re not looking closely at my face, so we could get away with it."

Henderson landed the role after being advised by the movie’s casting director not to mention her age to others (Warner Bros.)

After catching light of the news, Harry Potter fans rushed to social media to share their thoughts as Reddit user penned: "Those bath scenes hit a bit different all these years later."

A second agreed: "Interesting. I didn’t like the portrayal of her in the movie when I saw it at 14- it felt like she was an adult trying too hard to be a kid."

"I found it weird af as a kid and it’s something that always comes up with people I meet who are fans as something that also bothered them," echoed a third.

"I was always confused by this casting choice. I knew she was well beyond a teenager at the time it was filmed. I remember an interview with Daniel Radcliffe saying the scene in GoF where they’re in the tub together was super uncomfortable because of the age difference. I know there’s plenty of super-talented kids between 13-16 out there who could have pulled off the role. Why not just cast someone who is age-appropriate?" questioned a fourth.

Another then pointed out: "Kids age, ghosts don't."

And a final Redditor similarly defended: "I think the ghost effect helps a lot as well. She definitely looked younger than her age at the time of filming, but she couldn’t have passed for a 14-year-old without the ghost effect."

What do you make of it?