Harry Potter Celebration, held at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, unites Harry Potter die-hards from around the world, offering exclusive experiences, and providing those same fans with early looks at exciting new products from around the Wizarding World. It also allows for actors from the film franchise to recount stories and memories from the beloved series. And one of those actors, Stanislav Ianevski, was the unabashed star of this year's Harry Potter Celebration.
Ianevski, who played Viktor Krum (and Harry Potter Quidditch rival) in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (and, he'll be the first to tell you, was cut out of a later film), was an absolute hoot in a special press conference we attended. The Bulgarian actor let loose about overzealous fans (he claims a young woman threw a "bra and a pair of knickers" at him, emblazoned with the phrase "Marry Me") and where he'd put his horcrux ("In a barbell, since I spend so much time at the gym").
But perhaps the most endearing moment came when he was asked what other aspect of popular culture he was particularly drawn to. "I'm a big fan of the Minions," Ianevski said, referecing the gibberish-speaking, yellowish henchmen. (It was probably on his mind since there's so much Minion-related business at Universal Studios.) "There was one in my pocket and I had to take him out when we went on one of the rides. So Minions." Just think about the harsh Krum having to remove a Minion from his pocket before getting on a rollercoaster for a minute. Ianevski continued: "I wish they were real. I could have my own army." Then, for reasons we can't quite remember, Ianevski said, "Chinchillas are great."
So there you have it: Viktor Krum, incredibly entertaining Minions superfan.