Harry Potteron Wednesday, July 31.
The world was introduced to the famous character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 1997. The Harry Potter series consists of eight books: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The series then made its big screen debut in 2001, with eight films to follow. Deathly Hallows was split into two parts since it was the last in the franchise. Fans quickly fell in love with the trio from the Gryffindor house: Harry played by Daniel Radcliffe, Ron Weasley played Rupert Grint and Emma Watson played Hermione Granger.
With Harry turning 44, let's take a look at where the real-life cast of the films are now.
Daniel Radcliffe
At the age of 11, Daniel Radcliffe's life changed forever when he was cast as the boy wizard Harry Potter in the screen adaptation of JK Rowling's world of wizardry and magic.
After the franchise concluded, Radcliffe, 32, portrayed Arthur Kipps in the 2012 thriller The Woman In Black. Following his Harry Potter fame, he took to the Broadway stage as J. Pierrepont Finch in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and made headlines for his nude performance in Equus.
He then transitioned to television, playing a young doctor in A Young Doctor's Notebook. From 2019-2023, he was a regular on the TBS anthology series Miracle Workers. He also shared the screen with Sandra Bullock in The Lost City.
Off-screen, he splits his time between homes in New York City and London. He has been in a relationship with Erin Darke since they met on the set of Kill Your Darlings in 2013.
Rupert Grint
Post-Harry Potter, Rupert Grint appeared in six feature films, including Cross of Honour, and took to the stage in productions like Mojo in 2013 and It's Only A Play in 2014. He also starred in Sony Crackle's drama-comedy Snatch from 2017 to 2018, which is based on the Guy Richie film of the same name.
The 33 year old actor portrayed Julian Pearce in the Apple TV+ psychological horror series Servant from 2019 to 2023. In May 2020, Grint became a father when his girlfriend Georgia Groome, star of Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, gave birth to their first child. The couple has been together since 2011.
Rupert Grint made his Instagram debut with a picture of him cradling his newborn and wrote: "Hey Instagram….only 10 years late, but here I am. Grint on the Gram! Here to introduce you all to Wednesday G. Grint. Stay safe, Rupert."
In an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Grint confessed that he has contemplated leaving acting for a career in construction or carpentry. He said: "I've always toyed with the idea of walking away from acting and becoming a dad has increased those feelings." He added, "Don't get me wrong, I love working on Servant and feel extremely comfortable in a TV environment."
However, he admitted that dealing with fame from a young age due to Harry Potter was challenging.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson, who shot to fame as Hermione Granger, demonstrated her versatility beyond acting. After the Harry Potter series concluded, she returned to academia, graduating from Brown University with a degree in English Literature. Emma also serves as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for the empowerment of young women.
She was instrumental in launching the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which champions gender equality, and in 2018, she played a key role in initiating Time's Up UK, a non-profit organization that raises funds for victims of sexual harassment.
Emma also emerged as one of the most prominent faces for Burberry and Lancome, gracing numerous fashion shows globally. Despite her involvement in various projects, Watson has managed to carve out time for acting, landing significant roles in several productions.
She showcased her acting prowess in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Bling Ring, and Noah. Emma also starred in Disney's live-action adaptation of Beauty And The Beast in 2017, which raked in over $1.2 billion at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing films ever.
In 2019, she portrayed Meg March in Greta Gerwig's Academy Award-nominated adaptation of Little Women.
Tom Felton
Tom Felton brought to life one of Harry's adversaries – Draco Malfoy.
Tom delivered a stellar performance as Viscount Trencavel in the historical miniseries Labyrinth and as James Ashford in the period drama Belle in 2013, both of which were critically acclaimed.
In 2015, he played a murder suspect in TNT's Murder in the First, and the following year he appeared in films Message from the King and A United Kingdom. He took on the role of Doctor Alchemy on The Flash, based on the comic books of the same name, as well as drama film Feed, action-thriller Stratton, and biographical film Megan Leavey.
Tom was a regular on the 2018 sci-fi series Origin and received critical acclaim for his role as Laertes in Claire McCarthy's Ophelia. In 2020, Felton took on the role of the antagonist in the family-horror film A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting.
He starred alongside Jonathan Pryce and Samantha Morton in Save the Cinema, a film that told the true story of Liz Evans, a hairdresser and leader of a youth theatre in Carmarthen, Wales, who started a campaign in 1993 to save the Lyric theatre from closure.
From April 2008 until early 2016, Tom was in a relationship with stunt assistant Jade Olivia Gordon. She played his character's wife in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Concerns were raised when Felton fell ill and collapsed while participating in a celebrity golf exhibition on September 23, 2021, during the 2021 Ryder Cup festivities in the US. He was taken off the golf course on a stretcher and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. While he didn't disclose the cause of his collapse, Felton referred to it as a "scary episode" and confirmed he was "on the mend officially" in a message thanking fans for their support.
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch portrayed the eccentric Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films.
Following her role in the franchise, she guest-starred as Princess Alehna in the first season finale of the Sky television series Sinbad. She then made her mark in the indie teen comedy G. B. F, and Irish drama My Name is Emily, as well as stage productions including Disco Pigs, Houdini, and The Omission of the Family Coleman.
In 2018, Evanna also showcased her dancing skills on the US show Dancing with the Stars, where she finished in third place. After co-hosting the BBC Sounds official companion podcast for Normal People in 2020, she collaborated with two of its stars, India Mullen (Peggy) and Eanna Hardwicke (Rob), on Personal Space, a radio play for RTE Radio 1 in 2021.
As an activist, Evanna champions veganism and animal rights. She was associated with several non-profit organizations and launched both a vegan-themed podcast and the cruelty-free cosmetics brand Kinder Beauty Box.
Evanna was in a relationship with her Harry Potter co-star Robbie Jarvis, who played young James Potter, from 2013-2017.
In October 2021, she published her book The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and Glory of Growing Up – A Memoir, which chronicles "her recovery from anorexia and how the conflict between the comfort of self-destruction and the liberation of creativity still rages inside of her."
Ralph Fiennes
Renowned actor Ralph Fiennes, 59, portrayed Harry's arch-nemesis Lord Voldemort, a powerful sorcerer feared by all who knew him.
He was already a household name before taking on the role of You Know Who, having previously starred in Schindler's List, The English Patient and The Constant Gardener. After retiring his wizarding robes, he has since taken on the role of M in the James Bond franchise, starting in 2012.
In 2018, Fiennes received praise for his portrayal of Professor Moriarty in the comedy film Holmes and Watson. He's also been active behind the scenes when he made his directorial debut in 2012 with his film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus, where he also starred as the lead.
In 2020, he was honored with the Stanislavsky Award for his work as a director.
Robbie Coltrane
Scottish-born Robbie Coltrane, 72, had a successful acting career before taking on the role of half-human, half-giant Hagrid.
He played a detective in the crime drama series Cracker and appeared in two James Bond films, GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough, although his role as Hagrid is likely his most well-known. Since the end of Potter, he only starred in a few films such as a voice role in Great Expectations in 2012 and Effie in 2012 where he portrayed a doctor.
One of his most notable roles was in 2016 when he portrayed a television comedian accused of raping a 15 year old in National Treasure, a four-part television drama on Channel 4.
His absence from screens can be partly attributed to a four-year hiatus from acting due to health issues in 2012. Robbie died on October 14, 2022 at 72 years old. His death certificate stated that he died from multiple organ failure, sepsis, lower respiratory tract infection, and heart block.
