This article was originally published on SmartCelery
Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomenon that has captured the hearts of millions of fans. The movies were hugely successful, grossing a whopping $1,342 billion! The story is full of magic and wonder; it's easy to get lost in the world of witchcraft and wizardry, leaving you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire series. The cast spent endless hours filming and created strong friendships in the process, But it's been twelve years since the last movie was released, and the cast has moved on from Hogwarts. Join us to see where they are now and how drastically they have changed.
Ron Weasley
Ronald Weasley is probably the most well-known redhead in the world. He met Harry on the platform at King's Cross Station, and they have been best friends ever since. Of course, their friendship was tested a few times, but who could blame them? Those boys went through hell in literally every movie! Ron was played by Rupert Grint, who was 11 when filming started and 21 when the final film wrapped.
Rupert had a good work ethic from a young age and, while filming Harry Potter, took on a few other projects as well. He co-starred in the movie Thunderpants and had lead roles in Driving Lessons and Cherrybomb. Grint also co-starred with Emily Blunt in Wild Target. These days he plays Julian Pearce in a psychological horror series called Servant.
Harry Potter
When we first meet Harry, he is a tormented, shy little boy whose bedroom is a closet under the stairs. His aunt and uncle don't want him, and his cousin Dudley is a spoiled bully. But when Hagrid bursts through the door, Harry's life changes forever. As kids, we all wished that would happen to us. Remember anxiously awaiting a letter from Hogwarts?
Daniel Radcliffe was the perfect match for J.K. Rowling's description of the Harry Potter character in her book. Since filming wrapped, Radcliffe has appeared in several films, TV series, and plays. But he is about to star as a villain in the upcoming movie, The Lost City, with Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock.
Professor McGonagall
Professor McGonagall was one of those teachers you feared but respected, and Maggie Smith did such a great job portraying her. Although she was usually on Harry's side, McGonagall didn't hold back when it came to reprimanding him. And wasn't it cool when we found out that she was an animagus and could transform into a cat? And let's not forget it was McGonagall who got Harry an audition for the quidditch team.
Maggie Smith wasn't new to acting when she accepted the role of McGonagall; you might know her from Hook, Sister Act, First Wives Club, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Her latest role was as Violet Crawley on the hit television show Downton Abbey.
Luna Lovegood
Looney Luna Lovegood first makes her appearance in the fifth movie, The Order of the Pheonix. She is a strange girl with a dazed look on her face who believes in creatures that don't exist. She is often made fun of but bonds with Harry after explaining why he can see the Thestrals that pull the carriages. Luna becomes an avid supporter of Harry and his cause and even dueled with Bellatrix Lestrange in the final battle.
Evanna Lynch has come far since her role as Luna. She is the lead in the Irish film; My Name is Emily and also participated in the US version of Dancing with the Stars.
Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory didn't have a big part in the Harry Potter franchise, but he definitely left his mark. Harry first meets him when Cedric and his father travel to the Quidditch World Cup by port key. But soon, the handsome Quidditch captain was battling it out against Harry and the other participants in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Sadly, he was killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and Harry had to return his body to his heartbroken father.
Robert Pattinson played the part of the broody teenager and did a fantastic job. Then, he moved on to the next big thing, Vampires. Pattison played the lead role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga. Robert is set to play Batman in Matt Reeves's film The Batman.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix Lestrange was as dark as they come. She worshiped the ground Voldemort walked on and terrorized everyone who was against him. Bellatrix was the evil vixen who tortured poor Neville Longbottom's parents and boasted about it in front of him. So it was only fitting that Helena Bonham Carter played the part. She is known for taking on sinister, complicated roles.
Helena Bonham Carter has been in multiple movies and TV series, but you will usually find her in Tim Burton films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeny Todd, and Alice in Wonderland, alongside Johnny Depp. Her latest role is as Princess Margaret in The Crown,
Professor Trelawney
There were a lot of strange professors at Hogwarts, But Professor Trelawney took the cake. She taught Divination, which was a means to predict the future through supernatural rituals. It was the only class Hermione hated because there was no theory behind it, and as Professor Trelawney pointed out, she didn't have the knack for it. The kooky professor is played by the legendary Emma Thompson.
Emma Thompson is Hollywood royalty and has appeared in movies like Primary Colors, Nanny McPhee, and Love Actually. Emma starred in the film Cruella in 2021 and will play Miss Trunchbull in the upcoming remake of Matilda.
Hagrid
Hagrid is the true definition of a gentle giant. You can't but love this adorable oaf. He always says too much, which leads to a series of unfortunate events, but he means well. Hagrid sees the good in everyone, even the biggest, badest creatures in the Forbidden Forrest. He was also the first person Harry met from the Wizarding world, the one who flew him to freedom.
The big guy is played by Robbie Coltrane, who has been acting since the 80s! He has appeared in countless tv shows and movies, most notably, Frasier, Oceans Twelve, and Brave.
Sirius Black
In the third movie, The Prisoner of Azkaban, we meet Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. At first, we think he is the villain, but we find out that he was framed as the story progresses. Harry finally has a parental figure in his life who loves him. However, because Sirius was still on the run, he could not legally take custody of Harry.
Gary Oldman plays Sirius. Oldman has appeared in numerous productions, most notably, Air Force One, The Contender, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and Darkest Hour.
Cho Chang
Before Ginny Weasley, there was Cho Chang. Harry developed a big crush on the Ravenclaw beauty, but she snubs him for Cedric Diggory in The Goblet of Fire. However, they still have feelings for one another which becomes apparent in the fifth movie, The Order of the Pheonix. Sadly, the couple wasn't meant to be, but that's ok; they both find love in the end.
The confused teenager is played by Katie Leung, a star on the rise. She did a lot of stage work after filming on Harry Potter wrapped. However, she co-starred alongside Pierce Brosnan and Jackie Chan in The Foreigner in 2017 and will appear in Amazon Prime's new series, The Peripheral.
Lucius Malfoy
We all love to hate Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. Wouldn't it be great to punch that smug smile off his face? He looks down on others and always brags about his privileged life. And then we find out he is a death eater who is still devoted to the Dark Lord. But who can forget when Harry tricked him into giving his slave, Dobey, a sock which set him free? It was one of the best moments in the film!
Jason Isaac pulled off the character so well, which is not surprising since he is a pro. You might know him from The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, and Hook from Peter Pan. In addition, he just shot a pilot for a series called Good Sam, which was picked up and premiered in January 2022.
Albus Dumbledore
What is there left to say about Albus Dumbledore? The wise headmaster of Hogwarts took Harry under his wing but was always very cryptic advice. He was the only wizard who could take on Voldemort besides Harry, but he always knew that his prodigy was the person who could take down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for good. So everyone's heart broke when Professor Snape sent Dumbledore to his death.
Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two movies. Sadly, he passed away, and the directors replaced him with Michael Gambon. Michael is a well-respected actor with numerous hits under his belt. You might have seen him in The King's Speech alongside Colin Firth and Sleepy Hollow.
Petunia Dursley
Petunia Dursley is Harry's mean aunt; even though Petunia and her husband took Harry in after his parents died, they did not treat him very well. They had a perfectly good spare room upstairs, but he was made to stay in a small cupboard under the stairs. In addition, they used him as their personal servant and denied him the right to read his letter from Hogwarts.
Fiona Shaw portrayed Harry's vindictive aunt and has been killing it ever since. Fiona played Marnie Stonebrook in HBO's True Blood and has recently won a BAFTA Award for best-supporting actress for her role in Killing Eve.
Seamus Finnigan
Since the first movie, Seamus Finnigan has been part of the Harry Potter cast. However, he doesn't have a leading role in the franchise. But you can't help but love the little Irish wizard who is constantly blowing things up by mistake. Seamus joins Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Gryffindor and forms part of their friendship group. However, in the Order of the Pheonix, Seamus becomes one of Harry's skeptics.
The Irish firecracker was played by Devon Murray. Since filming wrapped, Devon hasn't done much. However, in 2017, he appeared in Simonna's music video for her song Every time you need me. In addition, Devon played Bosco in the film Damo & Ivor: The Movie.
Neville Longbottom
Neville Longbottom has probably gone through one of the most notable transformations of the entire Harry Potter cast. He started as this geeky bucktoothed boy and turned into a handsome young man. Neville's parents were tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange and went insane. He had to go live with his strict grandmother, who put the fear of God in him. However, he comes into his own and finds a love for herbology; Neville even helped Harry find Gillyweed for the Tri-Wizard tournament.
Matthew Lewis is such a heartthrob now! He probably has a bigger fan base than Daniel Radcliffe! Since playing Neville Longbottom, Matthew has appeared in numerous plays and TV series. His latest project was as Hugh Hulton in the British TV series, All Creatures Great and Small.
Professor Flitwick
Professor Flitwick coined the phrase "swish and flick" when showing his students the Wingardium Leviosa charm. Of Course, Seamus blew his feather up when trying to mimic him. This scene is where we see Hermione's true colors as the witty know-it-all. While the professor doesn't have too many scenes in the movie, he definitely left a lasting impression as the Charms Master.
Warwick Davis is used to playing multiple characters in the same series; just look at his work in Star Wars. Not many people know this, but Warwick also played the goblin, Griphook in the Harry Potter franchise. Today he works on a game show called, Tenable.
Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin was one of James and Lilly Potter's best friends, so we immediately fall in love with him when we first meet him in The Prisoner of Azkaban. However, he is hiding a big, bad secret that Professor Snape tries so hard to bring to the surface. Yes, he is a werewolf, but still a good man. Lupin is a great mentor to Harry and teaches him how to repel dementors with the Patronus charm.
David Thewlis plays the "sickly" professor and does a fantastic job. He has had plenty of practice from films like James and the Giant Peach, Seven Years in Tibet, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. David has since turned to writing, and his second book, Shooting Martha, was published in 2021.
Arthur Weasley
Arthur Weasley leaves us in stitches with his unusual obsession with muggle artifacts. For example, his famous line "What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?" had me laughing for hours! Although he does not earn that much, his family is everything to him, and he fights hard to protect them. The Weasley's eventually become Harry's surrogate family, and it's easy to see why Harry loves them so much.
Mark Williams does an outstanding job with the character. You might recognize him from his role as Horace in 101 Dalmations. But these days, he plays the lead in a series called Father Brown.
Narcissa Malfoy
Narcissa Malfoy is a complex character. While she is a faithful follower of the Dark Lord, I can't help but feel there is some good in her. Unfortunately, it seems she is too scared to go against her husband and Lord Voldemort. While she is the younger sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, she didn't inherit the evil gene. In the end, she lied to Voldemort about Harry's death, which in turn, helped to defeat the Dark Lord.
Helen McCrory has appeared in several well-known products such as Martin Scorsese's film Hugo, the James Bond movie Skyfall, and the series Peaky Blinders. Her last project was as Emma Banville in Fearless.
Professor Sprout
Professor Sprout's name is so fitting to her profession as a Herbology teacher. She always seems optimistic and clearly has a huge passion for plants. Who could forget the hilarious mandrake scene? The little trees have a cry that could deafen you, but we like them because they bit Draco Malfoy! She took Neville under her wing and changed him into the confident character we see in the last movie.
Miriam Margolye plays the eccentric professor, and since filming has wrapped, she has spent her time between the UK and Australia. She appeared in a travel documentary in 2016, called The Real Marigold Hotel, and has recently published her autobiography, This Much Is True.
Argus Filch
Argus Filch is a squib (non-magic wizard) and the caretaker of Hogwarts. Argus enlists the help of his cat Mrs. Norris to help him catch students who are out of bed after curfew. Unfortunately, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to doge him and his cat a few times when out on one of their adventures. The grumpy caretaker enjoyed the new reign of Professor Umbridge and her sadistic forms of punishment.
The actor who plays Argus Filch, David Bradley so no stranger to playing the villain. He is probably best known for his portrayal of Walder Frey in the hugely successful series, Game Of Thrones. At the moment, he is working on the remake of Pinocchio as the voice of Mister Geppetto.
Dolores Umbridge
We first meet Dolores Umbridge in the fifth movie, The Order of the Pheonix. At first, she seems like a sweet little lady, but looks can be deceiving. It turns out that Umbridge is on a mission to discredit Harry and Dumbledore, and she uses barbaric punishment to convince Harry to tell the "truth." Luckily, she gets roughed up in the Forbbiden forest by a herd of Centaurs she insulted.
Imelda Staunton has moved on from her wicked role. You might have caught her in Nanny McPhee and the last season of Downton Abbey. However, her most recent role was as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.
Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks is one of the most entertaining characters in the series and eventually marries her werewolf lover, Remus Lupin. Nymphadora has a rare ability to alter the way she looks; it's called being a Metamorphmagus. Tonks was a great warrior and fought with immense bravery, even though she was extremely clumsy. Sadly, Tonks was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange after the birth of her son.
Natalia Tena plays the quirky character, but she has since moved on, playing Osha the wilding in HBO's Game of Thrones. She is also a talented musician and is a member of the band, Molotov Jukebox.
Moaning Myrtle
Harry was shocked when he saw his first ghost at Hogwarts, but soon their sightings became part of everyday life. Queue Moaning Myrtle, the flirtatious ghost who haunts the girl's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle helps Harry find the Basilisk's lair in the Chamber of Secrets and again in The Goblet of Fire when Harry tries to figure out one of the clues. But we are using the word "help" loosely.
Shirley Henderson is no stranger to the big screen. She has appeared in all 3 of the Bridget Jones films and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day alongside Amy Adams. Her most recent project is the voice of Susie's mom in Cartoon Network's Summer Camp Island.
Fred Weasley
Who doesn't love the Weasley twins? Fred and George are the ultimate pranksters and love, causing chaos wherever they go. Thanks to them, Harry got his hands on the Marauders Map, which would show who was in the castle and where they were at all times. This made sneaking around much easier! When Umbridge took over, the twins had enough of her ridiculous rules and left Hogwarts for good after detonating one of their tricks.
James Phelps plays Fred Weasley alongside his twin, Oliver. They haven't done much acting since the movie's wrapped. However, James and his twin appeared in an episode of Kingdom. In addition, they have a podcast where they discuss their travels and personal life.
Hermione Granger
When we first meet Hermione Granger, she is an annoying know-it-all who corrects everyone. However, as time goes by, Hermione uses her intellect to help Harry and Ron figure out how to save the world from Voldemort. Her intense knowledge of potions and spells got the gang out of a few sticky situations. Eventually, Ron and Hermione fall in love and get married. What a picture-perfect ending for the couple.
Emma Watson has transformed from a bushy-haired nerd to a gorgeous woman. She has really come a far way since Harry Potter. You might have seen her as Belle in the remake of Beauty and the Beast. Her most recent work includes playing Margaret "Meg" March in Little Women.
Draco Malfoy
Fans immediately hated Draco Malfoy's arrogance. He is a spoiled brat that throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. He gets his prejudice towards muggles and half-bloods from his parents. But deep down inside, he is just a scared little boy with no idea what he's gotten himself into. Lord Voldemort chooses Draco to kill Dumbledore, but in the end, he couldn't do it, and Snape has to step in.
The actor who plays Draco, Tom Felton, seems to like playing the bad guy. You might have seen him in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting.
Peter Pettigrew
We actually meet Peter Pettigrew in the first movie, when he was posing as Ron's rat, Scabbers. But it turns out he is an Animagus and on the run from Sirius Black for framing him in Lilly and James Potter's deaths. Once they find out that Peter was the one who betrayed Lilly and James, the gang is determined to turn him in and clear Sirius's name. Unfortunately, he gets away and returns to his beloved Dark Lord.
Timothy Spall has appeared in a slew of hit movies like Sweeny Todd, Enchanted, and The King's Speech. However, his most recent project was as Davies in the play, The Caretaker.
Alastor Moody
Mad-Eye Moody was a world-renowned Auror, who lost his eye, leg, and some of his nose in the line of duty. But luckily for him, he received a magical eye that could see everything! Moody makes his appearance in the fourth movie, The Goblet of Fire when he is hired as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. But, unfortunately, it wasn't really him; it was Barty Crouch Jnr. who drank poly juice potion to imitate the famous Auror.
Brendan Gleeson had so much fun with the complex character. But since his time on Harry Potter came to an end, Brendan has been busy. Gleeson has appeared in several movies and TV series. His most recent project was as Scott in the series State of the Union.
Lord Voldemort
Now it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Yes, it's everyone's favorite villain, Lord Voldemort. While it takes a while for his actual character to appear in the story, we know about the Dark Lord from day one. Voldemort is so feared in the wizarding world people do not dare to speak his name. And when he returns for good, nobody wants to believe Harry and Dumbledore, which was a huge mistake!
The legendary Ralph Fiennes plays Voldemort. Ralph is a pro and no stranger to the camera. Before Harry Potter, Fiennes appeared in Strange Days, Maid in Manhattan, and In Burges. He has also made cameos in a few Bond films.
Dudley Dursley
Who could forget Harry Potter's mean cousin Dudley Dursley? He is a spoiled brat that complains that 36 presents on his birthday are not enough. But it was in the first movie Dudley gets a taste of his own medicine when Hagrid gives him a pigtail for eating Harry's cake! However, as he gets older, he becomes more of a bully.
Dudley is played by Harry Melling, who was 10 when filming started. Harry had lost so much weight by the last movie that he was almost recast! Since then, he has been in several films and TV series, but his most recent role was as Harry Beltik in The Queen's Gambit.
Uncle Vernon
Uncle Vernon hated the fact that Harry was a wizard. He was actually afraid of Harry's power, but that did not stop him from treating his nephew poorly. Vernon was the one who kept hiding Harry's Hogwarts letters from him and went out of his way to prevent Harry from going to Hogwarts. Although there is no excuse for how they treated Harry, he tried to protect his family.
Richard Griffiths was selected to play Uncle Vernon, and rightly so; he looks exactly like the character is described in the book. Sadly, Richard passed away in 2013 at the age of 65.
Nearly Headless Nick
Now it's time to praise our favorite ghost, Nearly Headless Nick. He enjoys trolling the halls of Hogwarts, scaring impressionable first years by tilting his almost severed head while greeting them. Nearly Headless Nick was pivotal in Harry's quest to find The Grey Lady, who he thought possessed the last Horcrux, the Lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. While Nick didn't help Harry find the Diadem, he told him where to find the Grey Lady.
John Cleese plays the legendary Gryffindor ghost. John is one of the co-founders of the Monty Python franchise and has appeared in several hit films, including numerous Bond films, Rat Race, and Shrek.
Tom Riddle
Before Voldemort was the most powerful wizard in the world, he was a young boy attending Hogwarts. Tom Riddle makes his first appearance in The Chamber of Secrets, where he tries to trick Harry through an old diary. He almost succeeds in this evil plot, but Harry, as usual, is in the right place at the right time. Harry destroys the journal with a Basilisk tooth and saves the day.
Christian Coulson plays the 16-year-old Tom Riddle, and since then, has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. His most recent role is as Benjamin in High Fidelity.
Parvati Patil
Parvati Patil arrived at Hogwarts with her twin the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione and was sorted into Gryffindor. While we usually only catch glimpses of her throughout the franchise, it's in the fourth movie where she gets a bit of the spotlight. After being rejected by Cho Chang, Harry asks Parvati to the Yule ball. While the pair didn't end up together, Daniel Radcliffe commented that he noticed how beautiful she was during their dance.
Shefali Chowdhury is the stunning actress that plays Parvati. Since Harry Potter, Shefali has acted in a few short films like I Am the Doorway, a story written by Stephen King.
Ginny Weasley
Ginny Weasley is Ron's shy little sister who has a massive crush on Harry. However, when she arrives at Hogwarts in her second year, she finds her own path and eventually starts a romantic relationship with Dean Thomas. Luckily, it doesn't work out, and Ginny lands up in the arms of Harry. The couple gets married at the end of the last movie and have three children together.
Bonnie Wright has blossomed into a beautiful young woman who has a bright future ahead of her. Since Harry Potter, Bonnie founded her own film production company called, BonBonLumiere, which keeps her very busy.
Gregory Goyle
Crabbe and Goyle are Draco's faithful sidekicks. They are scared of the platinum blonde bully and are happy to do his bidding. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all sorted in Slytherin house and spent many hours together plotting their next attack. Goyle's parents were both death eaters, but it is unknown whether he was one himself. But it's not impossible as he and Crabbe were really evil.
Since then, Josh Herdman played the wicked teen and has appeared in several movies and TV shows. He played Righteous in the 2018 Robin Hood film and recently appeared in an episode of Alex Rider.
Padma Patil
Padma Patil is the twin sister of Parvati. However, the sisters were sorted into different houses. While Parvati was sent to Gryffindor, Padam was sorted to Ravenclaw. When Ron realized that he couldn't find a date for the Yule Ball, he asked Parvati to go. Padma became a member of Dumbledore's army and fought in the battle of Hogwarts.
Padma is played by Afshan Azad, who hasn't worked in the industry since filming wrapped. However, in 2021, she appeared in Nissu's music video for her song, U.
Molly Weasley
Molly Weasley is an overbearing, strict mother, but who could blame her? She had to raise seven children! But no matter how much Molly nags, she has so much love to give. She basically adopted Harry as well. While Molly is a kind-hearted person, she is a fierce mamma bear! Mrs. Weasley was the witch who took down the evil Bellatrix Lestrange after she tried to kill her daughter, Ginny.
Julie Walters is a phenomenal actress and has had massive success on the big screen. She appeared in movies like Mamma Mia Billy Elliot and reunited with her Harry Potter co-star, Rupert Grint, in Driving Lessons.
Lavendar Brown
Lavender Brown started at Hogwarts the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She was sorted into Gryffindor house and became Ron's love interest in the sixth movie. Lavender loved divination, and Professor Trelawny took her under her wing. She was part of Dumbledore's army and fought in the battle of Hogwarts. Sadly, she was attacked by the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, and died from her injuries.
Lavender is portrayed by Jessie Cave, who has moved on since the Harry Potter movies. She has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, like Black Mirror, Great Expectations, and Father Brown.