12 Harry Potter Actors Who Have Changed a Lot Through the Years

No matter how many years go by, the Harry Potter franchise will always be one of the most beloved cinematic universes. It’s not accidental that for the total of 8 films, it received more than $7.5 billion at the box office. And since most of the franchise’s characters were kids, it’s only natural that people want to see how they’ve grown up. Obviously, we know how Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe are now, but there are other characters you might have not seen recently.

1. Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas)

From the first movie and throughout the entire saga, Harry had a couple of memorable housemates who he ran into from time to time in Gryffindor’s common house or around the school. One of them was Dean Thomas, played by Alfred Enoch. The actor is half-English and half-Brazilian.

He became more popular over the years, especially after he was cast for one of the lead roles in the series How to Get Away With Murder and we were surprised to find out that he was Harry Potter’s friend from Gryffindor! He also appeared in Sherlock and in Troy: Fall of a City.

2. Joshua Herdman (Gregory Goyle)

Joshua Herdman played one of Draco Malfoy’s friends, Gregory Goyle. We hardly recognize this young villain who studied at Slytherin: he’s a mixed martial arts fighter now.

3. Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)

The role of Luna was a form of treatment for Evanna Lynch. At the age of 11, she was hospitalized due to anorexia. She wrote a letter to J.K. Rowling and told her about her problem, and mentioned that she’d always wanted to play a part in Harry Potter. The writer answered her and they began writing to each other. She ultimately auditioned for the role of Luna in 2006. Evanna managed to shine brighter than 15,000 applicants and got the role even though she wasn’t experienced at acting. After the Harry Potter films, she acted in 6 more movies. Her latest work in a film was a cameo in Madness in the Method.

4. Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout)

Professor Sprout taught a strange subject at Hogwarts School of Magic, Herbology. She was also the head of the Hufflepuff House and was always seen as this sweet and friendly teacher, the kind of person you’d like to talk to if you were in trouble.

Miriam Margolyes, the actress who was in charge of playing this character, studied English at Cambridge University and she’s proud of it. A fun fact is that she openly admitted to not liking actor Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first installments of the saga.

5. Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley)

Though Harry Melling is the grandson of an actor, he’d never acted in movies before his role as Harry’s nasty cousin. At age 18, Melling lost so much weight that he changed beyond recognition. So to take part in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, he had to wear a suit that made him look a little plumper. The film was a crucial period in Melling’s life: he graduated from a theater school and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Today, he acts in theatres and takes part in movies and TV series. Most recently he acted in The Devil All the Time and The Tragedy of Macbeth.

6. Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)

Seamus was another of Harry’s schoolmates who, while not always agreeing with him, showed his support throughout most of the saga. Seamus was actually Dean’s best friend and they even shared a room. He was played by actor Devon Murray. This actor also enjoys spending time with horses, and has owned at least 6 of them.

7. James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley)

James and Oliver Phelps had never acted in films before Harry Potter but they really loved the books about the kid wizard which is why they decided to skip school and go to the audition. Today, they act in movies and do charity work.

8. Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum)

Stanislav Ianevski, from Bulgaria, played the role of a student from Durmstrang, the Northern wizarding school. Stanislav also acted in several films and TV projects. His latest work was a role in Last Man Down in 2021.

9. Luke Youngblood (Lee Jordan)

Luke played Lee Jordan, an enthusiastic member of Gryffindor whose main role was to keep the audience up to speed on how the teams were doing during the school Quidditch matches. At age 35, he’s already starred in several TV series (like Glee and Lie to Me). He also does work in theatre and sings.

10. Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter)

You probably remember this nosy reporter that appeared throughout the saga. She was always looking for embarrassing stories to write about in the newspaper or in books. Her name was Rita Skeeter and she was played by famous British actress Miranda Richardson. This character appeared very rarely, but she always liked to draw attention to herself with her exotic personality and exuberant style.

11. Hugh Mitchell (Colin Creevey)

The role of this small Harry Potter fan was a first for Hugh. Later, he took part in 19 films and series. Today, he’s a photographer, just like his character Colin.

12. Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) & Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

In the film, Draco was Harry’s enemy, but in real life, Tom Felton was a friend of Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Emma Watson even confessed that he was her first love. Unfortunately, it wasn’t mutual. Before taking part in Harry Potter, Tom played parts in movies and sang in the choir. As of now, he is a musician and plays in films and TV series.

Little Matthew Lewis managed to land the role of the quirky Longbottom. The actor was as unlucky as his character during the shoot: he had to wear fake teeth, plastic pads behind his ears, and a suit that made him appear fatter. And once, Helena Bonham Carter accidentally perforated his eardrum and he couldn’t hear for a few days. Nowadays, Matthew is continuing his acting career and played a part in Me Before You. He also got married to Angela Jones, a VIP event manager at Universal Studios.

Is there any other Harry Potter character that you are wondering what they’ve been doing in recent years?