There are plenty of reasons why Harry Potter holds a privileged ranking as one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. From the very beginning, when they were just children's books, they managed to achieve what many novels of this genre set out to do: they inspired children to read. What's more, all eight Harry Potter movies brought the wizarding world to life, teeming with all kinds of magical creatures, complex characters, and spells. In 2001, Chris Columbus was the first director in charge of bringing the books to the silver screen with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, while David Yates wrapped up the entire series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in 2011. Ten years of on-screen magic, following Harry's adventures as he grew up in the midst of a wizard war against Lord Voldemort, making life-long friends and allies along the way.
An interesting fact about Harry Potter is that the movies feature established actors, like Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman, in the roles of Hogwarts' professors, while casting young actors in the lead roles. In fact, many of these young actors grew up to become some of the greatest actors of our generation. For ten years, the audience saw them evolve and refine their roles in the franchise, not to mention taking on other roles in other films as well. Recently, the actors came together for an HBO Max reunion special to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first movie's release. Between the last movie and the reunion, each of the Harry Potter cast members followed a different path in their careers. In this article, we take a look at the young actors of Harry Potter and where they are today.
Daniel Radcliffe
After his leading role in Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe went through a phase during which he deeply feared he would never be able to detach himself from the titular Boy Wizard. That may be why his first project after Harry Potter, in 2012, was The Woman in Black, a horror movie. He kept shifting away from family-friendly roles, testing his luck in other genres, and during 2013, one of his busiest years, he starred in the thriller-drama Kill Your Darlings, the rom-com The F Word, the fantasy horror film Horns, and the play The Cripple of Inishmaan, which won him an award for Best Actor in a Play. Some of his most notable leading roles to this date include Imperium, Swiss Army Man, and Escape from Pretoria. His latest film so far is The Lost City, a 2022 production in which he co-stars with world-famous actors such as Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt, playing an eccentric billionaire criminal. He is also expected to star in the biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which he will portray Weird Al, and in Merrily We Roll Along, the Stephen Sondheim musical movie remake.
Emma Watson
The young actress who starred as Hermione Granger grew up to become an outstanding performer and, moreover, a great advocate for women's rights. Emma Watson's portfolio following the end of the saga is composed of appearances in both major productions and independent films, all of which she delivered to perfection. Her first starring role after the saga was in 2012, in the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which she followed a year later with the hit The Bling Ring. Another important achievement in her life was her education at Brown University, from which she graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. Thereafter, she starred in one of her most important roles after Harry Potter: Princess Belle, for Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast. In 2019, she took part in another remake, Little Women, this time directed by Greta Gerwig. Over the last few years, she has been part of initiatives that encourage the creation of sustainable alternatives in the fashion industry and participated in panels discussing ways to mitigate climate change.
Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint was one of the best-cast actors in the Harry Potter movies. His personality merged perfectly with the funny wizard Ron Weasley throughout the movies, and at the end of the eighth film, he decided, just like Radcliffe, to dabble in different genres. He first landed a role in the 2012 war film Into the White, and a year later in the biographical drama CBGB. Grint then went on to try his luck on stage as part of an ensemble cast in Mojo, and in 2017 as an executive producer for the TV series Snatch, in which he also starred. His last part to date was in Servant, the psychological horror series on Apple TV+, running for three seasons and renewed for a fourth and final. As of now, Grint is expected to star in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities series on Netflix and M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin.
Tom Felton
Tom Felton had already taken part in some productions before starring as the evil Draco Malfoy, but that was definitely the part that made him famous. The actor, who considers that the fame acquired in the world-renowned saga is not a burden, played a few other roles after the eighth film, but mostly in independent productions — except in 2011 when he appeared in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. One of the most acclaimed productions he was part of was the drama Belle in 2013. He also performed in A United Kingdom (2016), Feed (2017) and Ophelia (2018). In 2020, he went back to family-friendly productions with A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting. Felton is very active on social networks, especially TikTok, where he interacts with his fans on a regular basis.
Matthew Lewis
According to Screen Rant, the actor who brought to life the forgetful and fearful Neville Longbottom still begrudges the fact that he is only remembered for that role. After the saga, Matthew Lewis explored several artistic universes. In 2012, he made his theater debut starring in the acclaimed production of Our Boys, directed by Jonathan Lewis. He was cast in the series Bluestone 42, Ripper Street and Happy Valley. Within the cinematic universe, his most prominent roles were in Me Before You and Terminal, the films of 2016 and 2018. His most recent work to date was in 2020 comedy Baby Done, the film he co-starred in with Rose Matafeo.
Bonnie Wright
Bonnie Wright portrayed Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley siblings and the only daughter in the family. This actress has had a very interesting trajectory since the Harry Potter movies. She initially took part in several independent films between 2013 and 2014, Before I Sleep, The Sea and After the Dark, and during the same period she experimented in theater, as part of the cast of The Moment of Truth. Simultaneously, Bonnie attended the University of the Arts London, where she learned the art of filmmaking and then decided to launch her own production company, where she focused mostly on making short films, starting with Separate We Come, Separate We Go, a critically acclaimed production. In addition to her acting and production work, Wright is an activist and ambassador for Lumos, a charitable organization founded by Harry Potter's author and Greenpeace.
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch made her film debut in the franchise for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, performing the eccentric Luna Lovegood. Although she went through a casting process before being selected, both the casting team and Harry Potter's author agreed that, compared to the other applicants, Lynch had the same personality as Luna, which made her stand out and finally win her the role. After the eighth movie of the saga, Lynch took part in various movies and stage productions, among them the drama My Name Is Emily, and the play Houdini, in 2013. The actress is a strong activist for animal rights and veganism, and just like Wright, she is an ambassador for Lumos. She also hosts a podcast with information on veganism and participated in the creation of Kinder Beauty Box, a vegan and cruelty-free make-up brand.
James and Oliver Phelps
James and Oliver Phelps, Fred and George Weasley. These actors portrayed one of the most cherished pairs of twins in the movie industry. After the franchise ended, this duo took part in a bunch of films, both separately and as a pair. Individually, they have been involved in some short films, such as The Turn, a 2012 short film starring James, and Ears, another one from the same year but starring Oliver. In conjunction, they took part in King of the Nerds and last year's Last Night in Soho. Apart from this, they host a podcast entitled Normal Not Normal, and each season, they discuss different topics and interview guest actors and celebrities.