Angus actor Harry Aspinwall is joining the ranks of Merlin and Maleficent as the magical lead in a new Disney+ original.
The Quest gets its premiere this week.
And the Brooklyn-based actor admits it’s the realisation of a dream which began as a boy near Edzell.
“My role on The Quest is more than I could have dreamed of,” Harry said.
“Growing up, Lord of the Rings was my happy place,” he said.
“I have no idea the number of times I’ve watched those films.
“And Disney films were the exemplar of magical worlds.”
‘You’re a wizard, ‘Arry’
“Working with the Lord of the Rings team on an original Disney fantasy world, and I get to be a wizard?
“I still can’t quite believe it’s real,” he said.
But he admits it comes at a price:
“You have no idea the number of ‘You’re a wizard, ‘Arry’ jokes I’ve heard,” he added.
The Quest is a ground-breaking hybrid scripted and reality competition series.
It drops eight young people into the fantastical world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
Harry plays Dravus, the archmage of the kingdom of Sanctum.
And he must must do all in his power to protect the kingdom’s young heirs from the dark magic of sorceress Tavora and her armies.
Netflix debut
Harry’s no stranger to playing morally grey characters.
Last year he made his Netflix debut as the antagonist Baxter in family action hit The Sleepover.
The actor worked alongside Joe Manganiello of True Blood, Justice League and Spider-man, and Malin Akerman.
Harry moved from Scotland to the US as a teenager to pursue a career in film.
He wrote and directed the pandemic production Banishment.
His first feature film has been produced through his production company Dark Tower Films.
It is a minimalist horror thriller titled Eradication and is entering the festival circuit before being widely distributed next year.
His next steps, he says, are to take on more acting roles and produce more film projects back in Scotland.
