Matthew Lewis on his transformative role in All Creatures that left him 'giddy'

The beloved series All Creatures Great and Small is set to return to Channel 5 for its fifth season, and in a nod to its popularity, the first season has now been made available on Netflix. Matthew Lewis, known for his role as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series, plays Hugh Hulton, who vies for the affections of Helen Alderson, portrayed by Rachel Shenton.

Despite his character not winning over Helen, whose heart is set on James Herriot (played by Nicholas Ralph), Lewis shared insights into his time on the show and why audiences warmed to his character. In a conversation with Masterpiece for PBS, he revealed that he appreciated how Hugh was "not maliciously ignorant of his privilege" and described him as "he is a genuinely nice guy".

This revelation comes as fans express their surprise at how much Lewis has transformed since his days in the Harry Potter franchise.

Now 35, Lewis discussed the appeal of playing Hugh, noting it was "very different from things that I've done before". He enjoyed exploring the character's more endearing traits, stating: "Also, I enjoy losing myself in characters that are very unlike me, and Hugh was so different from me."

The Leeds-born actor also touched on his aspirations to master new accents, finding roles that require his native accent more challenging. He described staying in character as a "constant battle".

For Lewis, the thrill of acting comes from fully immersing himself in new and diverse roles.

He shared his thoughts on the craft: "I can embody this person and play around. And when you're totally in a scene, something will just happen and you go, 'Whoa, that was amazing. I didn't expect that to happen, but it felt real, it felt right,' and you get a real giddy feeling. I