The Guy Who Played Dudley Dursley In The ‘harry Potter’ Movies Looks Totally Different Now
We’re not sure when, why or how we became so obsessed interested in seeing child stars grow up , but it happened, and we’ve accepted it.
Today, we’re here to show you what the kid who played Dudley Dursley in the “Harry Potter” franchise looks like now. Like his co-stars before him, Melling has gone through quite the physical transformation.
For reference, here’s a photo of him at the “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” premiere back in 2004:
Harry Melling May 3, 2014
And here is he back in 2013:
The now 26-year-old continues to pursue his acting career, and according to his IMDb page he’s appeared in a few TV movies and short films. He also wrote and starred in his very own play, “Peddling,” in 2014 and 2015. You can watch a video of him performing a monologue from the play in the video below:
In March, the actor spoke to The Economist about his “Harry Potter” co-stars, saying:
I’m very happy they’re doing what they’re doing but I wouldn’t compare myself to them. I don’t feel jealousy or anything like that really, because they’re just different situations. I’m not one of “the three,” so I’m not going to be in that position, but equally, that allows me to get on the Tube. The thing with Dudley is that you get a call every now and again going, “We’re looking for a really fat, rattish guy.” And then my agent has to go, “Oh no, sorry, he’s changed.”
He seems to be quite content doing what he’s doing. Good for him!
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Gambon Is Still Acting Today
Gambon continued acting in films and on TV after the “Harry Potter” films. He voiced the narrator in “Hail, Caesar!” and voiced Uncle Pastuzo in “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” .
He also appeared in award-nominated films, like “Victoria and Abdul” and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” .
More recently, Gambon played Bernard Delfont in “Judy,” the 2019 biographical drama about Judy Garland, and starred in “Cordelia” .
The Harry Potter Star Feels Lucky He Got To Move Away From His Franchise Character
While promoting The Queens Gambit, Melling spoke to EW about his decision to move away from his Harry Potter role. He noted he always wanted to take on more dramatic parts and felt lucky he was able to do so.
I think I was very lucky that I was allowed to move away from Dudley, Melling explained. When you start as a child actor, I think there are certain stigmas you get from that, and I never really wanted to engage in them. I just wanted to continue doing work, and go into drama school as a sort of, not a conscious way of doing it, but maybe a way of bridging that gap.
And it seems Mellings career as a dramatic actor is just getting started. He will appear in Joel Coens upcoming Shakespeare adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth. In the film, Melling will play Malcolm opposite Denzel Washingtons Lord Macbeth.
The actor is also slated to star in a new drama film called Please Baby Please, starring Demi Moore and Andrea Riseborough.
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Staunton Has Continued Her Successful Career On Stage And On The Screen
Staunton went on to appear in “Maleficent” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” alongside Davis, and voice a character in “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” alongside Walters and Gambon.
On TV, she’s played Karen Edwards on ITV’s “A Confession,” Mary on ITV Hub’s “Flesh and Blood,” and, most recently, Penny on the Apple TV+ series “Trying.”
Staunton will also be taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth II starting on the fifth season of Netflix’s “The Crown.”
The actress continued working on the stage with West End productions of “Sweeney Todd” , “Good People” , “There Came a Gypsy Riding” , “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” , and “Follies” .
She is currently working on the upcoming film “The Canterville Ghost” and she’s set to star in the now-postponed West End production of “Hello, Dolly.”
Thompson Has Starred In Many Films Since Harry Potter Ended
After “Harry Potter,” Thompson took on roles including Agent O in “Men in Black 3” , the voice of Queen Elinor in Pixar’s “Brave” , PL Travers in “Saving Mr. Banks” , and Mrs. Potts in “Beauty and the Beast” .
More recently, the actress appeared in “Late Night” , “Men in Black: International” , “Last Christmas” , “Dolittle” , “How to Build a Girl” , and “Cruella” .
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Warwick Davis Played Professor Filius Flitwick And Voiced Griphook Throughout The Series
Warwick Davis donned a cape and mustache as Filius Flitwick, Hogwarts’ charms professor whose look changed drastically between the second and third films.
Davis also played the bank teller at Gringotts in the first film and provided the voice for Griphook in “Sorcerer’s Stone” before fully inheriting the role from the late Verne Troyer in the final two films.
Davis’ first acting role was as Wicket in “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” when he was 13 years old, and he continued his successful acting career with notable roles in films like “Willow” , the “Leprechaun” franchise , and “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” .
While filming “Harry Potter,” Davis also appeared in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” .
After Working On Several Shorts And Tv Movies Melling Made It Back Onto The Big Screen
Since “Harry Potter,” Melling has landed roles in films like “The Lost City of Z” and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” .
Recently, the actor has appeared on BBC One’s “The War of the Worlds,” BBC One’s “His Dark Materials,” and Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit.”
His recent films include “The Old Guard” , “The Devil All the Time” , and “Say Your Prayers” .
Melling is set to act in an upcoming adaptation of “Macbeth.”
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Maggie Smith Was Professor Mcgonagall
Maggie Smith portrayed Hogwarts’ transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall.
The English actress was known for her work in “Othello” , “Death on the Nile” , “Sister Act” , “The Secret Garden” , and “Richard III” .
While filming “Harry Potter,” Smith appeared alongside Gambon in “Gosford Park” . She also worked on films like “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” , “Becoming Jane” , “Nanny McPhee Returns” , and “Gnomeo and Juliet” .
Toward the end of the series, Smith also began starring on the award-winning PBS series “Downton Abbey.”
Harry Melling In The Queen’s Gambit
For those who missed it, Harry Melling appears in the second episode of The Queens Gambit, when Beth enters a chess tournament and faces off against his character, Harry Beltik. In total, Melling appears in four episodes of the show. Soon after fans noticed Harry in The Queens Gambit, they took to their social media handles and expressed their excitement. Some fans also lauded the actors massive transformation in the series. Take a look at how they reacted.
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After Playing Lucius Isaacs Took On Several Television Roles
Isaacs went on to appear in films like “The Death of Stalin” and “Hotel Mumbai” , but much of his recent work has been on TV.
He provided the voices of Sentinel and The Grand Inquisitor on Disney XD’s “Star Wars Rebels,” was Captain Gabriel Lorca on CBS’ “Star Trek: Discovery,” and played Dr. Hunter Aloysius Percy on Netflix’s “The OA.”
He currently voices The Judge on Netflix’s “Castlevania.” He also voiced The Emperor in “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” and Dick Dastardly in “Scoob”.
The actor’s other recent film credits include “Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets” , “Mass” , “Creation Stories” , and “Streamline” .
Helena Bonham Carter Played Bellatrix Lestrange
Dark witch Bellatrix Lestrange was played by Helena Bonham Carter.
Before joining the cast in “Order of the Phoenix,” Bonham Carter had already made a name for herself in films like “Hamlet” , “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” , “Fight Club”, “Planet of the Apes” , and “Corpse Bride” .
In between filming the “Harry Potter” movies, the actress took on other iconic roles, including Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” , the Red Queen in “Alice in Wonderland” , and Queen Elizabeth in “The King’s Speech” .
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Ralph Fiennes Played He Who Must Not Be Named Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort was portrayed by actor Ralph Fiennes.
Before stepping into the villainous role in “Goblet of Fire,” the English actor was best known for his parts in “Wuthering Heights” , “Schindler’s List” , and “Maid in Manhattan” .
He also voiced characters in “The Prince of Egypt” and “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabit” .
Throughout filming “Harry Potter,” Fiennes also appeared in “The Duchess” , “The Hurt Locker” , and “Clash of the Titans” .
Sitara Shah Shefali Chowdhury Afshan Azad And Sharon Sandhu
Casual fans may not notice that Parvati and Padma Patil, the twins Harry and Ron Weasley took to the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, were played by several actresses. Most of these young women unfortunately saw little to no career advancements after their small parts in the series.
Sitarah Shah and Shefali Chowdhury both played Parvati in different films while Padma was portrayed by both Afshan Azad and Sharon Sandhu.
Shah’s single experience in a movie was in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Sandhu, who played Padma in the same film, was only given the title of “Girl 2.” Azad, whose only film credits include her Harry Potter role, went on to be a model. Chowdhurdy, the only actress of the four to make any other films, worked in two short films.
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Vernon Dursley Was Played By Richard Griffiths
Harry’s uncle, Vernon Dursley, was played by Richard Griffiths.
Griffiths was a well-established actor before “Harry Potter,” with notable film credits including “Chariots of Fire” , “Gandhi” , “Sleepy Hollow” , and “Vatel” .
Throughout the “Harry Potter” films, Griffiths also appeared in “Lost in Love” , “Venus” , and “Bedtime Stories” .
Harry Potter’s Dudley Has Transformed Actor Harry Melling Shows Off Huge Hair And Slimmer Frame
The star, 26, was on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff as a special guest – but viewers were left BAFFLED
He’s remembered by fans across the world for playing chubby, mean cousin Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.
But Harry Melling has transformed in the years since the final film was released.
The actor was a special guest on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, and fans were left in shock as he showed off a slimmer frame, HUGE hair, and grown up features.
Wearing a printed t-shirt and smart blazer, the now 26-year-old looked almost unrecognisable.
He joined the panel to weigh in on the EU referendum, the week’s headlines and more, and appeared comfortable alongside the host as he aired his views.
We first got a glimpse of his transformation last year, when Melling posted a snap, grinning with a slimmed down face and figure and cropped hair.
Gone were those chubby cheeks, long hair, and his arrogant posture from the films, and we had to look twice.
The star has reportedly dropped from 16st to 11st 5lb, and the difference is incredible.
The actor even managed to lose so much weight towards the end of filming, he had to wear a fatsuit, so he wasn’t re-cast in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One.
He commented at the time: “I can now shed the child actor thing, like the fat, and start a new career, because no one sees me as Dudley.”
Harry has since gone on to write his own play, Peddling, looking at homelessness in London.
See more celebrity transformations here:
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David Thewlis Was Cast As Professor Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin was played by David Thewlis. The character was introduced in “Prisoner of Azkaban.”
Before appearing in this iconic series, Thewlis was known for his roles in “Naked” , “Black Beauty” , “James and the Giant Peach” , and “The Big Lebowski” .
He also appeared in movies like “The Omen” and “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” .
Dudley Dursley From Harry Potter Looks Unrecognizable Today
Fans of the Harry Potter movie series are often on the lookout for their favorite actors in new movies or TV shows to lend their support. While many of the adult actors in the Potter films were well-established before they became part of the series, the child actors were all but unknown. Most of the supporting cast became known for just one thing being a part of the Harry Potter universe but for Harry Melling, who played Dudley Dursley in the films, he has become unrecognizable to even the most dedicated Potter fans.
The character of Dudley required Melling to be significantly overweight which he was as a child. However, as the actors hit puberty and grew up, a lot of them went through changes that affected how they looked , including weight loss. In fact, Melling dropped so many pounds before the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 that he almost lost the gig to a Dudley recast. However, Melling revealed via Hello! that he had to wear a fatsuit and a face prosthetic when shooting the last Potter film to get the right look. He also told the mag that his agent has to field calls from people looking for a “really fat rattish guy,” only to tell them Melling’s changed quite a bit. .
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Smith Is One Of The Most Famous Tv Actresses Of The Decade
After “Harry Potter,” Smith appeared in films like “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “The Lady in the Van” . She also reprised her voice role in “Sherlock Gnomes” .
Her most notable role, though, is as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on “Downton Abbey,” which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. She also reprised the role in the 2019 “Downton Abbey” movie.
The actress also found success on the stage, most recently starring in the West End production of “A German Life” in 2019.
Smith is currently working on the upcoming holiday film “A Boy Called Christmas.”
Michael Gambon Assumed The Role Of Dumbledore For The Remaining Six Films
Michael Gambon started portraying Dumbledore in the third “Harry Potter” film.
Like Harris, he was already a successful actor before “Harry Potter,” appearing in notable films like “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” , “Sleepy Hollow” , “Gosford Park” , and “Path to War” .
While filming the “Harry Potter” movies, Gambon appeared in “The Good Shepard” , “The Book of Eli” , and “The King’s Speech” .
He also voiced a character in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and starred on the BBC One miniseries “Emma” .
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David Bradley Took On The Role Of Argus Filch
Grouchy Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch was played by David Bradley.
Before “Harry Potter,” Bradley was known for appearing on a number of TV miniseries including BBC Two’s “The Buddha of Suburbia” , “Our Friends in the North” , and “Our Mutual Friend” .
He also appeared on ITV’s “Reckless” , “Vanity Fair” , and BBC One’s “The Wilsons” .
In between the “Harry Potter” films, Bradley continued his work on TV, and also appeared in films, including “Nicholas Nickleby” , “Exorcist: The Beginning” , and “Hot Fuzz” .
Dobby Was Voiced By Toby Jones
In the “Harry Potter” films, Toby Jones provided the voice for Dobby.
The character was introduced in “Chamber of Secrets” and only appears in one other film in the series.
Before his debut in the “Harry Potter” universe, Jones had appeared in “Les Misérables” , “Ever After” , and “Hotel Splendide” .
Between “Harry Potter” films, Jones appeared in “Finding Neverland” , “The Painted Veil” , “Frost/Nixon” , and “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll” .
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Since Harry Potter Ended Oldman Has Become An Oscar
After “Harry Potter” wrapped, Oldman was recognized by the Academy for his work in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” , in which he played intelligence officer George Smiley.
That same year, he also reprised his role as Commissioner Gordon in “The Dark Knight Rises” .
The actor went on to star in films like “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” . In 2017, Oldman also transformed into Winston Churchill for “Darkest Hour” and won the Oscar for best actor.
Recently, Oldman worked on “The Laundromat” , “The Courier” , “A Place Among the Dead” , “Mank” , “Crisis” , “The Woman in the Window” , and “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” .
He’s set to appear in the new Apple TV+ spy series “Slow Horses.”
Harry Melling Has Shifted To More Dramatic Roles
After his final Harry Potter film, Melling went on to star in several theater productions in and around London. He then took on supporting roles in films like The Current War and The Keeper.
But in the last year alone, Melling has starred in a number of popular projects. He appeared on episodes of His Dark Materials and The War of the Worlds. And he starred in Netflixs star-studded films, The Old Guard and The Devil All the Time.
Mellings latest series, The Queens Gambit, premiered on Netflix in Oct. 23. In the series, he plays Kentucky-based chess player Harry Beltik.
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