Harry Potter turns 20: where are stars of the film franchise now?
As fans prepare to mark the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first film adaptation of JK Rowling’s hit series, on Tuesday, rumours abound of a potential reunion, with reports that members of the main cast have been issued with invitations for a one-off show.
As Potterheads fantasise about the gang getting together one last time, we take a look at where the cast members are now and the paths their careers have taken in the years since.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Radcliffe became one of the world’s highest-paid actors for his titular role in the Potter films. He branched out into stage acting in 2007 and starred in a slew of movies – as Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black, Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings and Tim Jenkin in Escape from Pretoria – but none have been anywhere near the scale of Potter.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
With perhaps the most successful career post-Potter, Watson has gained recognition for her roles in blockbuster and indie films as well as her activism – which earned her a spot on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. She played Sam in the critically acclaimed Perks of Being a Wallflower, Meg in coming-of-age drama Little Women, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, which ranks among the highest-grossing films of all time. She was appointed UN women’s goodwill ambassador and helped launch HeForShe as well as Time’s Up UK in response to the #MeToo movement.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
Following Potter, Grint starred in a string of little-known indie projects, including Driving Lessons and Cherrybomb, but most were panned or ignored by critics. Despite a turn on stage in Jez Butterworth’s Mojo, his career has not flourished as well as expected. He opened a hotel in Hertford only for it to be shut down four years later. He’s previously revealed he had even considered quitting acting after the intensity of the Potter years. But things may be turning around after he scored a major role in M Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller series, Servant, on Apple TV.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
Felton’s role as Harry Potter’s school nemesis gave him star appeal. Outside the franchise, he’s best known for his part in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, though other appearances in indie films received limited consideration. He was in TV miniseries Labyrinth as well as period drama Belle, which was released to critical acclaim. A keen musician, Felton has released several EPs.
Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
His roles after Potter have not been extensive, but Lewis’s performance in Me Before You, as well as the Channel 5 remake of All Creatures Great and Small, were critically praised. He’s starred in a few other small-screen dramas including Ripper Street and Happy Valley, but nothing dominated column inches as much as his shirtless “glow up” on the cover of Attitude magazine. A sport lover, he currently hosts the Leeds United podcast “Doing a Leeds” with former footballer Jermaine Beckford.
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
Wright appeared in a number of indie films that received mixed reviews. She made her stage debut in The Moment of Truth in 2013 and the following year participated in a celebrity spin-off of The Great British Bake Off, but it is her directorial work that has been most successful. After graduating from the University of Arts London with a degree in film-making, Wright directed coming-of-age drama Separate We Come, Separate We Go, which was released at Cannes to critical acclaim.
Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas)
Enoch became well known for portraying one of a small number of black characters in Harry Potter. He later appeared on stage in a number of plays as well as an episode of hit BBC series Sherlock. But it was his role as Wes Gibbins in Shonda Rhime’s legal drama How to Get Away with Murder that made him a household name.
Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley)
His part in the Potter franchise was
small yet notable. Since then, Melling has starred in the Coen brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as well as on stage in productions including Mother Courage and her Children. Fans recognised him on screen in BBC series Merlin, and most recently, in Netflix’s hit show The Queen’s Gambit.
Jamie Waylett and Josh Herdman (Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle)
Waylett has fallen foul of the law a couple of times, being charged with possession of cannabis and arrested for participation in the 2011 England riots – for which he was sentenced to two years in prison. Herdman has had a few acting roles, including in 2018’s Robin Hood, but today he’s mostly known for his career as an MMA fighter.