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Harry Potter Stars Then & Now: See How the Cast Has Grown Through the Years

By:
September 21, 2023 4:16PM EDT
Alan Davidson/Shutterstock

Movie magic! Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint spent their entire childhoods filming the beloved “Harry Potter” films from 2001-2011 and you can see the cast transformations here.

Not only did the cast grow up before our very eyes in the movies, but they’ve also gone on to do amazing things post-Potter. From blossoming careers on Broadway to earning degrees from top schools like Brown University, the young cast of the bewitching franchise has gone on to make plenty of magic in their own lives. 

But obviously, the main trio isn’t the only stars we saw go from bright-eyed 11-year-olds to full-grown adults. Emma, Rupert, and Daniel grew up alongside cast members like Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton, and Evanna Lynch, who all also have been quite busy with various projects since ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ premiered in 2011. Click through the gallery to check out how Daniel, Emma, Rupert, and more have grown since leaving HP.

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Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe
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Daniel Radcliffe was just 11 years old when he was cast as the titular role in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. After wrapping the final movie in 2011, he went on to star in Broadway productions like ‘How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying’ and films like ‘Now You See Me 2’. 

“The Boy Who Lived” has taken on a number of varied projects throughout his career. He’s jumped seamlessly from playing real people (like Allen Ginsberg in 2013’s ‘Kill Your Darlings’) to comedic roles (like Prince Frederick in ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend’) to thrillers (such as ‘Escape From Pretoria’). Daniel’s most recent roles included parts in the TV series ‘Miracle Workers’ and the upcoming 2022 comedy, ‘City of D’.

July 25, 2019, 3:18PM
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Emma Watson

Emma Watson
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Emma Watson was 11 when she made her debut screen performance in 2001’s ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ as Hermione Granger. Since the franchise ended, she graduated from Brown University, worked with the United Nations, and continued her acting career with films like ‘The Bling Ring’, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, and ‘Little Women’. She also played the iconic Disney Princess Belle in the live-action ‘Beauty And The Beast’ in 2017.

Besides acting, Emma has become very politically active and has used her voice to support various causes. She voiced her support for the trans community after ‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling wrote transphobic tweets. Emma also vowed to fight racism in wake of George Floyd’s murder.

July 25, 2019, 3:18PM
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Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint
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Rupert Grint was cast as Ron Weasley when he was 11 years old. Since portraying Harry Potter’s best friend, he’s been keeping himself busy with projects like ‘Snatch’, a 2017 television series he both starred in and executive produced. His most recent role was in the series ‘Servant’, where he played Julian Pearce. While he’s had plenty of other roles since ‘Deathly Hallows’, Rupert has said he’d be open to returning to Hogwarts in the future. 

Besides his acting pursuits, Rupert was the first of the original trio to have a child of his own! His girlfriend Georgia Groome had a daughter named Wednesday in May 2020.

July 25, 2019, 3:24PM
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Tom Felton

Tom Felton
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Tom Felton rose to prominence as Draco Malfoy, a role he played in all eight ‘Harry Potter’ films. After the conclusion of the series, he appeared in movies like ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Risen’, and ‘Braking For Whales’. As of 2021, Tom’s most recent role was as Tony Turner in the World War II drama, ‘The Forgotten Battle’. But, fear not: he has plenty of projects coming down the pipe.

July 25, 2019, 3:24PM
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Matthew Lewis

Matthew Lewis
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Matthew Lewis starred as Neville Longbottom in every ‘Harry Potter’ film. He later went on to appear in a number of projects, including 2016’s ‘Me Before You’ alongside Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. Matthew’s most recent roles were in the 2020 movie ‘Baby Done and the TV series ‘All Creatures Great And Small’.

July 25, 2019, 3:24PM
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Evanna Lynch

Evanna Lynch
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Evanna Lynch was introduced as Luna Lovegood in 2007’s ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’. After filming on the franchise wrapped, she went on to compete in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and appeared in Potter-related projects like the musical ‘A Very Potter Senior Year’. She’s acted in a number of small projects in recent years, like the shorts ‘Other Half’ and ‘Behind The McChicken Wrapper’. She also has lent her voice to shows like ‘Middle School Moguls’.

July 25, 2019, 3:33PM
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Bonnie Wright

Bonnie Wright
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Bonnie Wright only appeared briefly in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ before taking on a more crucial role in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ and all succeeding movies.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree from London’s University of the Arts: London College of Communication, in pursuit of continuing her acting career as well as behind-the-scenes roles. She made her directorial and screenwriting debut with the coming-of-age short film, ‘Separate We Come’, ‘Separate We Go’. She’s directed five short films since the 2012 flick, with her most recent being ‘Medusa’s Ankles’ in 2018. Despite hopping behind the camera for some projects, she has kept acting, and her most recent role was as Nell in ‘A Christmas Carol’.

July 25, 2019, 3:33PM
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Katie Leung

Katie Leung
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Katie Leung played Cho Chang, the first love interest for Harry Potter, and was introduced in the fourth movie, ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’. In 2012, she made her stage debut in the play ‘Wild Swans’. Since the ‘Harry Potter’ films ended, Katie has mostly worked in television, and her most recent role was as DC Blair Ferguson in ‘Annika’. She also acted in the 2021 flick, ‘Locked Down’.

July 25, 2019, 3:34PM
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Alfred Enoch

Alfred Enoch
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Alfred Enoch played Dean Thomas in all of the ‘Harry Potter’ films, barring ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1’. You may recognize him now as Wes Gibbins from ABC’s legal drama series ‘How To Get Away With Murder’, which ended in 2020. More recently, he’s returned to movies. He played Harry Wotton in the 2021 adaptation of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.

July 25, 2019, 3:37PM
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Harry Melling

Harry Melling
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Harry Melling is best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the ‘Harry Potter’ films. In 2018, he played a young thespian with no arms or legs alongside Liam Neeson in the Coen brothers’ Western ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’. He also acted alongside Anya Taylor-Joy in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ in 2020. 

July 25, 2019, 3:45PM
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James & Oliver Phelps

James & Oliver Phelps
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James & Oliver Phelps played Fred and George Weasley in the 2001-2011 ‘Harry Potter’ film series. They spend plenty of time now golfing, and often meet up with their former costars Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, and Rupert Grint to play the sport. The pair have appeared alongside each other in a number of movies. Most recently, they both appeared in ‘7 Days: The Story of Blind Dave Heeley’ in 2019, and the pair have a few more movies coming soon, where they both appear.

July 25, 2019, 3:45PM
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Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson
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Before shooting to stardom as Edward Cullen in the ‘Twilight’ series, Robert Pattinson played Cedric Diggory in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’. The actor has also starred in movies like ‘Good Time’ and ‘The Lighthouse’. While he’s probably still best-known for ‘Twilight’, Robert will join another major franchise in 2022, when he takes on the title role in ‘The Batman’.

July 25, 2019, 3:45PM
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