• Dan mentions that his casting and involvement in the series is similar to his character Jacob Kawolski coming into the Wizarding World with awe and amazement
• Dan's initial audition had him dressed up in suspenders and a hat, but didn't hear back initially. He had another screentest in Los Angeles, where he was told he was great, but still didn't get it, yet. Then he was asked to come to London to audition with costars Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) and Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein).
• He found out at Comic-Con (in fact was interviewed probably minutes after he got word) last year that he got the role as Jacob. His agent, who told him the news, commented that Comic-Con might be different this coming year.
• Dan talks about the massive 1926 New York City sets bit at Leavesden outside London, and even how famous costars like Jon Voight were in awe of the great scale of the production around them.
• Mentions that the first movie is a lot about how Newt wrote the actual book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and where he got his source material.
• Says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling loves the material and wants to share it with everyone.

Legitimately I am so happy that you nailed this role and that you’re in this movie, how is it for you? What does it mean to be in the Harry Potter universe?
Dan Fogler: I mean, I’m one very small cog in this massive machine, man, I mean it’s just like, it’s a gigantic beast in itself and to be part of it is overwhelming. It’s a dream come true. Me, very much Dan Fogler coming to this role is very much like my character Jacob Kowalski coming into this magical world – I’m as in awe as he is. It’s very much playing close to home for me.

I heard through the grapevine that they had a tough time trying to find the actor to play your role and that when they so you, they were like 'this is the guy'. So, talk a little bit about the audition or, going in to get this role
Dan Fogler: Surreal. The process was I went in and I auditioned in New York and I did it and I was like… I went in there in like a costume, a patchwork hat and suspenders, and I didn’t look right at all but I felt right, ya know? I went in there and I was like ‘I nailed it. I f--king nailed it, man'.

And I got out of there and I didn’t hear anything and then I forgot about it and it’s like the old thing where the ‘train always comes when you light your cigarette’, as soon as I forgot about it they were like ‘man they want to see you again’, so I flew out to London and I did the screen test with Eddie and Alison and I felt really good about it.

Actually, no, I went to L.A and there was another test and they were just like we love you, we really like you, and then nothing happened! I was like ‘what is going on?’! So, I saw that they were auditioning all these other guys that I’m always in competition with and I was just ‘aw man, it was close’ and then I went out to London and did the screen test and they were like ‘okay, we’re going to look at a lot more people, and then if we do call you it’ll be another screen test’. I was like, damn!

So then I went to Comic-Con and I’m hocking my Brooklyn Gladiator like ashcan books, like the hunchback of Notre Dame, just sweating my nuts off, and then I get this call...

While you’re at Comic-Con?
Dan Fogler: While I’m at Comic-Con! So I’m walking up and the throngs of people are coming and I’m like, a salmon swimming up-stream, then, I get this call and, I’m feeling so ugh, farty about myself, and then my agent says [on the phone] ‘hey, where are you right now, man?’ and I’m like ‘I’m at Comic-Con’, he’s like ‘Well Comic-Con’s going to be a lot different next year’. It was a magical…cause I was expecting them to say that we need another screen test but they said no, you got the part. That was a long story!

So what was it like filming this thing because I’ve seen some stills and it just looks like it’s going to be a really cool movie
Dan Fogler: Yeah, I’m excited to see it. They recreated half of New York city in the 1920s in Leavesden in London, in the studio. They made New York. People like Jon Voight walking around just being like 'Holy Moly!'

Like, when Jon Voight is walking around just amazed, you know you’re on a big movie, and he’s been in some whoppers. People were saying, from the smallest person on the crew to the biggest person, everyone was like this is the biggest movie we’ve ever worked on.

Going back into this world, even in a different way, what do you think is going to surprise people about the script and the story, because J.K, she wrote it.
Dan Fogler: What’s cool about is that the source material is, she wrote the origin of how this text book was made, essentially. Fantastic Beasts and Newt Scamander’s journey about how he created this book. So, they won’t be judging it, they’ll just be able to enjoy it, they won’t be comparing it a source material, they’ll just be saying this is more awesome universe to digest. It takes place in America so the accents are different and instead of Muggles there’s No-Majs. How do you feel about the whole No-Maj thing?

I firmly believe in whatever she’s creating. I think that she’s proven herself over all these books and movies that she’s really f--king smart, so whatever she wants to do I’m on board.
Dan: She is really smart, man, and she’s excited about it too. To talk to her about it, she’s excited to share this with everybody

Let me stop there because I think you’ve to go to a presentation. Do you know what they’re showing at CinemaCon?
Dan Fogler: At CinemaCon they’re showing a trailer and some behind-the-scenes from the movie and you’ll be able to see some new aspects of it that haven’t been seen before. I’m excited.