November marked the 20th anniversary of the very first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and seeing all the news about it on TV and in our Google News feeds gave us all the nostalgia. How has it been two decades?! The actors we first saw on-screen as mere children are now mostly in their 30s, some with families and kids of their own. It feels unreal, and it definitely got us wondering what our favorite Harry Potter stars are doing now.
A lot of us have reread the books and rewatched all of the movies with our own children at this point, and the franchise is definitely alive and well. From the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios to movie marathons that regularly pop up on TV, we still see and hear about the characters all the time — but that's not so much the case with the stars of the films.
Although we'll get to see many of them reunite for an HBO Max Harry Potter anniversary special in January 2022, over the past several years, it's really only been Daniel Radcliffe (who of course played Harry) and Emma Watson (who played Hermione) making headlines. So we did some digging to find out what some of the other franchise stars are up to now. Keep reading to find out.
Then: Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe was 12 when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out in 2001, but he honestly looked much younger. He had just two acting credits to his name before that, making the film his breakout role. He starred in a Harry Potter movie nearly every year between 2001 and 2011, cementing his celebrity status (and making him a heck of a lot of money), but also pigeonholing himself a bit as an actor.
Now: Daniel Radcliffe
Now 32, Daniel has struggled a bit to find his footing as an actor after the blockbuster franchise came to a close in 2011. But he's still starred in more than a dozen movies since then, including indie films such as Yossi Ghinsberg's Jungle. He's also appeared in some revered stage productions, including How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway, and he's set to star in the major motion picture Lost City of D (alongside Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Channing Tatum) in 2022.
Then: Emma Watson
When Emma Watson took up the character of brainy Hermione Granger, she was just 11 years old. It was her first film and it pretty much set up her career for the rest of her life. Despite not having a huge number of acting credits to her name outside of the Harry Potter franchise, she's since become a bonafide star.
Now: Emma Watson
Emma has starred in several major films since the last time she played Hermione, including the live-action adaptation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Seth Rogen's This Is the End and 2019's Little Women. Perhaps even more notably, though, is that Emma — who is now 31 — blossomed into a passionate women's rights activist. She also started learning how to work behind the camera while on lockdown in 2020.
Then: Rupert Grint
Despite boasting a baby face, Rupert Grint — who of course played Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley — was 13 when the first film came out. In 2018, he told The Guardian that he auditioned for the role because he "loved the books," so it was a big deal for him when he got it. Having played Ron for most of his formative years wasn't always easy, though. He admitted that he almost quit because filming the movies took up so much of his life.
Now: Rupert Grint
Rupert got married in 2011 — the year the last Harry Potter film came out — and is now a dad to a 1-year-old daughter named Wednesday. He's appeared in a number of films and TV shows throughout the years, but like costars Daniel and Emma, he keeps a relatively low profile for the most part.
Then: Robbie Coltrane
Even though he's super intimidating, it was hard not to adore the half-giant Hagrid from the very first time we watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane absolutely nailed the gruff but lovable character. Prior to the film, he had long been a popular comedian in Britain and had even appeared in two James Bond films.
Now: Robbie Coltrane
These days, we don't see Robbie on-screen anymore. He's actually spent much of his career since Harry Potter doing voice work in films such as Brave and Arthur Christmas. Most of his on-screen roles since then were in productions that weren't very well-reviewed, among them 2014's Effie Gray and the National Treasure series.
Then: Harry Melling
Actor Harry Melling played Harry Potter's bullying, spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley from the time he was 12, just like Daniel. It was also his first job as an actor, and he stuck to playing Dudley exclusively until 2010, even though he did not appear in all of the Harry Potter films.
Now: Harry Melling
Now 32, Harry Melling has had quite an active career as an actor since his role as Dudley ended — but you probably wouldn't know because he looks so dang different. Most recently, he played chess champion Harry Beltik in the hit Netflix original series The Queen's Gambit.
Then: Tom Felton
Tom Felton was one of the oldest in the crew when the first Harry Potter movie came out. He was already 14 when he took on the role of Harry's Hogwarts enemy Draco Malfoy, and he was one of the more experienced actors among his peers. His first television role was in The Borrowers four years prior.
Now: Tom Felton
Now 34, Tom continues to fully embrace his on-screen identity as Draco and often celebrates and honors the films on his social media accounts. Throughout the years, he's starred in a number of films and TV series, including a recurring role in CW's The Flash.
Then: Matthew Lewis
English actor Matthew Lewis played nerdy Gryffindor student Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films. As the franchise progressed, he took on a more significant role in the storyline and became one of the most beloved characters. Like Daniel Radcliffe, Matthew was 12 when he got the part in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but he had actually been working as an actor since he was 6 years old.
Now: Matthew Lewis
Matthew is now 32 and married to Angela Jones. (They tied the knot in 2018.) He's had a great career as an actor since the Harry Potter franchise came to a close, and is starring as a snooty landowner in the British series All Creatures Great and Small. He's also had recurring roles in a number of popular shows, including Happy Valley and Girlfriends.
Then: Afshan Azad
Actor Afshan Azad first appeared in the Harry Potter franchise in 2005 when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire came out. She was one half of the Patil twins and played the role of Padma. Though the characters weren't particularly popular, they were essential to Harry and Ron's coming-of-age stories.
Now: Afshan Azad
Afshan hasn't been in a movie since the last Harry Potter release, but she has done quite a bit of modeling. On the anniversary of the first Harry Potter movie, she publicly thanked embattled author JK Rowling for the opportunity, drawing some fresh attention to herself. The 33-year-old got married to her husband, Nabil, in 2018, and had her first baby in 2021.
Then: Shefali Chowdhury
The character Parvati Patil was actually played by two different actors. In the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, actor Sitara Shah portrayed Parvati. She stepped away from acting, and Shefali Chowdhury took her place. Shefali played Parvati in all of the subsequent films.
Now: Shefali Chowdhury
Although it's unclear whether it's by choice or not, Shefali doesn't do much acting these days. She nabbed roles in a few short films after Harry Potter, the most recent of which was in Odilo Fabian (or The Possibility of Impossible Dreams) in 2019. Not much has been heard from her since.
Then: Bonnie Wright
English actor Bonnie Wright played Ginny, the youngest and only girl of the Weasley brood, and although she was a minor character in the first few Harry Potter films, by the time Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came around, she played a much more prominent role. She was also a newbie to acting when the first film debuted and pretty much grew up on the set.
Now: Bonnie Wright
Despite having very few acting credits to her name outside of the franchise, Bonnie actually has done pretty well as an actor after Harry Potter. She's appeared in a number of both full-length and short films, including the 2015 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and she stars in the upcoming film Those Who Wander. In 2021, Bonnie also added author to her résumé. She penned the self-help book Go Gently, which is intended to promote self-care and environmental consciousness. She also has a new YouTube channel with the same mission.
