November 15, 2007

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince Finds Its Lavender Brown

By Shawn Adler (MTV.com)

Settle down, girls - and Hermione, you're just going to have to wait - Ron Weasley has a girlfriend. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince director David Yates has hit upon just the right shade of Lavender.

Jessie Cave, 20, has been cast as Lavender Brown in the blockbuster series' sixth installment, reports the BBC. A Gryffindor student and member of Dumbledore's Army, Lavender becomes Ron's girlfriend during the students' sixth year at Hogwarts, and soon becomes known around the Tower for what some would call very public displays of her affection. This and the fact that she's generally perceived as a silly, flighty girl makes her a perfect choice to create jealousy and resentment in Ron's real, if unspoken, interest.

The news of Cave's involvement comes nearly five months after Yates told MTV News of open casting calls to be held for the role in London.

But unlike Evanna Lynch, who was cast as Luna Lovegood after a similar open call, Cave is an established actress who will appear in the British TV drama Summerhill and in next year's Inkheart with Helen Mirren. Neither Yates nor Cave's agent have commented, according to the BBC.

In saddling up with Harry Potter Cave joins recently announced additions Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn and Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy.

An ancillary character in the first five novels, Lavender was previously played by Jennifer Smith in the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled to open in November 2008.