Daniel Radcliffe used a photo of Cameron Diaz to direct the Harry Potter scenes

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NBC

Harry Potter had quite a crush, at least the actor who played him. Unfortunately for this actor, Daniel Radcliffehis crush wasn’t cast in the 8-part film series… but that didn’t stop Radcliffe from allowing a Cameron Diaz photo to play an off-screen role in the films.

The photo came into play during the filming of many Quidditch scenes, when the actors were forced to sit on a bicycle saddle attached to a metal pole because none of the actors had yet learned to fly broomsticks.

The Diaz photo story is told in Tom Felton’s recently published memoir, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Chaos of Growing Up a magician. Felton played Potter’s fellow student and adversary, Draco Malfoy.

Felton explains that the actors needed something to make sure they were all looking at the same spot where the Quidditch ball would be. The crew accomplished this using a tennis ball attached to the end of a pole. The only problem was that the scenes called for more than just Quidditch balls and there was more than one Quidditch ball anyway (Quaffle, Bludger and the Golden Snitch).

There were also other objects to stare at, such as a kite. On these occasions, the filmmakers finally allowed the cast to choose images, and it could be anyone or anything they wanted. Felton explains, “We chose images of something or someone close to our hearts. Daniel Radcliffe had a picture of a particularly handsome Cameron Diaz.”

Diaz was known to cast members as Radcliffe’s crush, and as of earlier this year, to the general public.

Felton did not explain whether or not the photo of Diaz distracted Radcliffe, although we are certain that all falls from his broom that Radcliffe suffered were all scripted.