What The Cast Of Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone Is Up To Now
Unless you were hiding under an invisibility cloak, you probably knew about JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" series in the early aughts. Already a global phenomenon, U.S. publisher Scholastic reported that the fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," sold a whopping 3 million copies in its first weekend on sale in 2000. And one year later, the world was buzzing to see the boy wizard on the big screen when the first film hit theaters in November 2001. The cast featured a charming set of youngsters alongside British film icons like Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman. BoxOfficeMojo reports that it went on to earn over $1 billion globally, landing it in the top 100 highest-grossing films of all time.
Twenty years on, the kids who brought the wizarding world to life have grown up, many of them right before our eyes. Over the course of 10 years, the main cast starred in a total of eight films, per IMDb. "I've probably been Ron as long as I've been Rupert," Rupert Grint once told AP (via Deseret News). Here's a look at what the original cast of the film has been up to in the last two decades.
Daniel Radcliffe continues to act
With a few acting credits already under his belt, Danielle Radcliffe scored the leading role in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" despite one complication: he had already decided to quit acting. According to HuffPost, director Christopher Columbus was eyeing Radcliffe for the part after seeing him in "David Copperfield," but Radcliffe had "taken himself out of the running." A chance meeting with the film's producer convinced him to audition, and the rest was Hogwarts history.
Radcliffe spent ten years filming the blockbuster series, and continued to act in other projects along the way, branching out to theater in 2007 with his role in "Equus" (via The New York Times). He's starred in films like "Victor Frankenstein" and "Imperium," and currently stars in the series "Miracle Workers," as noted on his IMDb page.
Despite being in the limelight for two decades, Radcliffe doesn't have any social media accounts, saying he's not "mentally strong" enough to deal with the barrage of love and hate that come with Twitter and Instagram, USA Today reports, and he credits his parents for keeping him grounded during his "Potter" years. Per Elle, he began dating Erin Darke after meeting on the set of "Kill Your Darlings" in 2012, but aside from recurring wedding rumors, they largely avoid being tabloid fodder. "We're boring to them. Ninety percent of the paparazzi photos of us are getting coffee," Darke told Vulture. "You can only sell so many photos of two people waiting for an Uber."
Emma Watson embodies some serious Hermione energy
Emma Watson was 11 years old when she debuted as Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," a role that seemed almost made for her. At first Watson fought against the similarities she shared with the brainy character. "I feel as though I spent a long time trying to pretend I was not like Hermione," she told Gloria Steinem (via HuffPost). "And, of course, I was rather like Hermione."
But as an adult, Watson recognizes the comparison is totally a compliment, and she continues to embody Hermione energy. Along with achieving academically and going on to study at an Ivy League university (via Time), she's become an activist, even taking a year off to read a feminist book every week and become more active in her popular online book club, Our Shared Shelf. In 2014, she was appointed a UN Goodwill Ambassador, with focus on the HeForShe campaign.
Watson has become an in-demand actor, appearing in blockbuster films since the "Potter" series wrapped, including "Little Women" and the live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (per IMDb). Having been in the public eye since childhood, Watson chooses to keep some parts of her life just for herself, including her romantic relationships. "I want to be consistent: I can't talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home," she told Vanity Fair. "You can't have it both ways."
Rupert Grint became a dad
After starring in all eight "Harry Potter" films as Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend, Rupert Grint continued to act in movies and on the small screen. But one recent role he took on has been the most life-changing since he was sorted into Gryffindor. In 2020, Grint and longtime girlfriend Georgia Groome became parents, according to People. Groome, who also appeared in an adaptation of a popular YA book, "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging," gave birth to their daughter, Wednesday, during quarantine.
Grint returned to film the TV series "Servant" after becoming a dad, which shifted how he approached his role. "It's very strange. It definitely has kind of changed my perspective on things but also in a helpful way ... It was something I never really had much of an idea of, it was that kind of love, it's a very different love," he told ComicBook.
He opened up to Glamour about living the dad life, which has inspired him to quit smoking. Unlike many new parents, he feels more relaxed and, as a reformed insomniac, is actually sleeping better. Twenty years after his career as a child actor took off, he knows the sacrifices that come along with acting all too well, but said he wouldn't stop Wednesday from trying it out. "I had a great experience, and I have no regrets," he said. "I would want her to do what she wants, but I think I'd be a real stage mum."
Richard Harris died in 2002 from cancer
Irish actor Richard Harris played the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first film, a casting that nearly didn't happen. The story goes that he initially turned down the part, but came around when his 11-year-old granddaughter "told him she would never speak to him again if he didn't," the Independent reports.
Despite his initial reservations, he went into the role with full force and marveled at the world JK Rowling dreamed up. "I think it's magical," he said in an interview. "I've said one day I'd like to crawl inside her head. Crawl into her head and see what the hell is going on in there."
Sadly, Harris died in 2002 at the age of 72 from lymphatic cancer, as The New York Times reports. Before his death, he portrayed Dumbledore in the second "Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." The part of Dumbledore was taken up by Michael Gambon in subsequent films, but Harris' first portrayal will forever be cherished in the Potter-verse.
Maggie Smith became a Crawley
It's hard to imagine who could have made a more perfect Professor McGonagall than Dame Maggie Smith. But the part may have been a little too easy for her. "I am deeply grateful for the work in 'Potter' and indeed 'Downton [Abbey]' but it wasn't what you'd call satisfying. I didn't really feel I was acting in those things," she told Evening Standard. While the role didn't exactly push her acting craft, she did say it helped her bond with her grandkids.
While appearing in all eight "Potter" movies, Smith kept busy starring in films like "Gosford Park" and "Becoming Jane" (per IMDb). When the franchise ended in 2011, she continued to work on movies, but also took to the small screen as matriarch Violet Crawley in the highly successful series "Downton Abbey."
The actress has racked up more accolades to count over the years, making her a contender for the rare EGOT status. She won a pair of Oscars in the '70s, several Emmys, and a Tony in 1990 for the play "Lettice and Lovage." Here's hoping a Grammy is in her future!
Harry Potter star Tom Felton explored his musical side
Tom Felton repped Slytherin to the fullest in his portrayal of Harry Potter's schoolyard enemy, Draco Malfoy. Over the eight films, he won MTV Movie Awards' best villain honor twice, in 2009 and 2010, and very much leaned into the complexity of being bad. "In a way, even though he's known as a slimy bully, he's not really that villainous," he told MTV News. "There's actually a sweet little boy there. They love to hate me!"
After taking a break from the limelight, IMDb reports that Felton continued to act after he hung up his Hogwarts robes, appearing on television shows like "Murder in the First," "The Flash," and "Origin," and films like "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Per RadioX, he also tapped into his musical side, performing songs on his social media accounts and releasing singles and EPs that he describes as "alternative, acoustic, and easy listening." His most recent album, "YoOHoO," came out in 2021. Felton still enjoys keeping in touch with fans of the Potter-verse, and his interactive #dracotok hashtag has nearly 22 billion views on TikTok at the time of this writing.
Robbie Coltrane can be seen (and heard) on TV and in film
JK Rowling's Hagrid was a half-giant, and it would take a performer with enormous character to fill his shoes. Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane did so with gusto, taking on the role in all eight films. Since the "Potter" franchise wrapped up, Coltrane hasn't been cast in many Hollywood roles, but continues to act. Most notably, his recognizable voice can be heard in "The Gruffalo" and as the Scottish Lord Dingwall in Pixar's "Brave."
In 2006, Metro reported that the queen honored Coltrane as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). Keeping things light after receiving the title, he remarked, "Once you've been doing anything for 25 years people start to notice you."
More recently, he jumped into the fray when Rowling was accused of transphobia over tweets she's made about gender. Unlike other cast mates, he sided with the author, telling Radio Times (via Pink News) he had a "grumpy old man" perspective: "I don't know why but there's a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended."
Alan Rickman, who played Snape, died of cancer in 2016
Severus Snape was a key character in the Potter-verse, and only an actor like Alan Rickman could ever fit such a part. The LA Times reports that JK Rowling, who was still writing the series when filming started, revealed spoilers of Snape's story arc to Rickman alone. "You can see there was always more going on there — a look, an expression, a sentiment — that hint at what is to come," said producer David Heyman.
While filming the subsequent films, he also starred in blockbusters like "Love Actually" and "Sweeney Todd" (per IMDb), but only chose select projects after the series wrapped. People reports that Rickman married Rima Horton, his girlfriend of 40 years, in a secret wedding in 2012. The couple kept the ceremony private, and he only mentioned it publicly three years later. "It was great because no one was there," he told the German newspaper Bild.
Rickman also kept some sadder news close to home. In 2016, he died at age 69 of pancreatic cancer, and only disclosed the terminal diagnosis to his friends and family, according to the Independent. "Potter" fans mourning the sudden news visited Kings Cross station's platform 9 3/4, where they left tokens to honor the actor that brought their favorite potions teacher to life (per EW), while his costars expressed grief over his passing. "I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor," Emma Watson tweeted.
Matthew Lewis had a glow-up
Seeing all the "Potter" stars grow up hasn't been easy for JK Rowling. When Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom, appeared in Attitude magazine baring his abs while sporting tighty whities, she responded with a bit of shock after clicking the link. "@Mattdavelewis Not as bad as watching Dan in 'Equus,' but close," she tweeted, referring to the play in which Radcliffe appeared naked. "Warn me next time, for God's sake."
Lewis played plain and clumsy Neville perfectly as a kid, wearing false teeth and prosthetics for the part, so his "glow up" post-Potter became the stuff of memes for fans. The phrase "Longbottoming" was born to describe such a duckling-to-swan transformation.
When he's not poking fun at fans going nuts over his looks, Lewis has been a busy guy. After appearing in all eight "Potter" films, IMDb reports that Lewis was in a few movies, including "Me Before You," "Terminal," and "Baby Done." He's also found success on television, with recurring parts on shows like "Happy Valley," "Girlfriends," and "All Creatures Great and Small." And outside of Hollywood, Lewis married Angela Jones, his girlfriend of two years, in 2018 (per Page Six). Even though he's gone on to play more dashing parts, there will always be a little bit of Neville Longbottom in Lewis. "At times it's painful how much of me there is in Neville," he told New York Times. "When I'm watching, I'm like, 'That's not Neville; that's you.'"
Harry Melling is getting great roles
Harry Melling played Harry Potter's spoiled bully of a cousin, Dudley, in the first film, and went on to appear in several of the sequels. Portraying such an unlikeable character can come back to haunt child actors, but Melling appreciates the world he's helped create. He told Vulture that as the movies continually reach new generations, "with that comes this idea that you're always going to be that 10-year-old child. Obviously that's wrong and not the case, so you're fighting that a bit, but that the same time you're proud to be part of something that has captured the imagination of so many people."
To create space between his role as Dudley, he dove into theater. "I wanted to bridge that gap between child acting and adult acting, and theater felt like a place that I wanted to explore," he said.
Along with acting on stage, he's had various film and television roles, breaking out of the Dursley mold. He most recently starred in the breakout series "The Queen's Gambit" and upcoming projects include "Please Baby Please" and "The Pale Blue Eye" (via IMDb). Melling hopes to keep pushing the envelope in his career. "The chameleon effect is something I've always admired in other actors and something I've always wanted to try and get a go at doing that."
Ian Hart reunited with Harry Potter costar Daniel Radcliffe
Ian Hart was cast in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" as Professor Quirrell, and if you're not privy to this yet 20 years later, here's a spoiler: He was the bad guy. Because his character died at the end of the film when Harry faced Quirrell, who was hosting Voldemort, Hart didn't get to appear in the sequels. He has spoken about the economics of his part, namely that he never got to cash in on such a lucrative franchise, but in the end, he's made peace with it. "I had a good time and I enjoyed it, so I have no complaints," he told Den of Geek.
Hart's career has continued to thrive after the film released, with notable roles in the series "My Mad Fat Diary" and the Netflix historical drama "The Last Kingdom" (per IMDb). In 2020, he reunited with costar Daniel Radcliffe in the thriller "Escape from Pretoria" and as an adult, the experience working with Hart was much more different for Radcliffe than when he was 12. "I'm able to appreciate what a cool, lovely guy and great actor he is way more now than when I was a kid," Radcliffe said during an interview with Jon Interviews.
James and Oliver Phelps are a podcasting duo
The most mischievous duo at Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley, were played by twins James and Oliver Phelps, and if you can't quite remember who played which Weasley, don't feel bad ... it took them time to learn as well.
On an episode of their podcast, "Normal Not Normal," Oliver revealed that they didn't know who was playing Fred or George until the film's first table read. "We're talking five minutes before we're supposed to start, we still had no idea who was Fred and who was George," Oliver said. Within 20 seconds, the powers that be had a chat and came back to let the twins know Oliver would play George, while James starred as Fred.
Post-wizarding world, the pair continue to act on select projects, sometimes together (per IMDb). And off the big screen, they are also busy producing that aforementioned podcast. "A couple of years ago, I was struggling with what being normal actually meant, when it was put to me that normality is just a view of your own reality," Oliver told Mugglenet. With over 230,000 followers on their podcast YouTube channel at the time of this writing — and interesting guests from the "Potter" world and beyond — it's a bona fide hit.
Verne Troyer died in 2018
With the help of some fantastic prosthetics, actor Verne Troyer transformed into the goblin Griphook in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" –- making him the only American to score a major role among the British cast. He was replaced in the sequels, as the role was later taken up by Warwick Davis, who voiced Troyer's Griphook and who also played Professor Flitwick.
According to IMDb, Troyer continued to act in his career after "Potter," reprising his role as Mini-Me in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and starring in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." On television, he appeared in shows like "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Scrubs," and "Two and a Half Men," and was on the 2009 season of "Celebrity Big Brother."
Sadly, Troyer struggled with alcoholism and depression, and in 2018, he died at the age of 59 in what was ruled as suicide by alcohol poisoning, The New York Times reports. Mike Myers remembered Troyer at the time of his death as a "consummate professional and a beacon of positivity" (via EW). "It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed," he wrote.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Alfred Enoch has found success on the small screen
Alfred Enoch appeared in seven of the "Harry Potter" films as Dean Thomas, one of the few characters of color in the series. Though his role was as a side character, he realizes what seeing Dean Thomas in the cast meant for children watching. "Not to downplay it," he told The Guardian, "but I wasn't an integral character. I've expressed that to people and they still say, 'Yeah, but I saw you and you looked like me.'"
Enoch went on to study at Oxford. He continued to act, following in his father William Russell's footsteps on the stage, and in 2021, played Romeo in a Globe Theater production of "Romeo and Juliet." Off the stage, he's had success on television, landing a pivotal role in Shonda Rhimes' "How to Get Away With Murder" (via IMDb), an opportunity that he's said "changed my life." You can find him now in the much-anticipated Apple TV+ sci-fi "Foundation" series, adapted from the award-winning book.
Harry Potter actor Devon Murray joined the dad club
Irish actor Devon Murray appeared in all the "Potter" films as Harry's fellow Gryffindor and friend Seamus Finnigan. After the series ended, Murray has one uncredited part in a film, with no other acting gigs listed on IMDb. So what's he up to now? "When 'Harry Potter' finished I was like, right, I need some time for myself," he told fans at LeakyCon 2018, "back with my family, back with the horses, back with the people I grew up with, and that's what I've done since 'Harry Potter.'"
Aside from riding, rescuing, and rehabbing horses, he keeps things pretty mum, but posts life updates on Instagram regularly (while on Twitter he mostly retweets cryptocurrency site CryptoWZRD). In 2020, he announced that he and longtime girlfriend, Shannon McCaffrey, were expecting their first child, reports E! News. Cast mates like Evanna Lynch congratulated the dad-to-be on social media. "Awwww congratulations Dev!! So happy for you! You're going to be such a fun dad!" Lynch gushed.
Murray's son Cooper was born in 2021. Since welcoming his son, Murray popped the question along the fittingly romantic Sky Road in Clifton, and the couple is now engaged, Buzz reports.
Zoë Wanamaker starred in another hit YA novel adaptation
Zoë Wanamaker's character in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was responsible for teaching the boy wizard to fly. But she only appeared as Madam Hooch in one film, despite the professor popping up in most of the books. Some speculate that Wanamaker's role was eliminated after she spoke out about the low pay actors received in the first film. "If they want me for a second [film], they'll have to up their rates. I don't think any of the actors have done well out of it," she told the Daily Telegraph (via The Guardian), also noting that the cast wouldn't receive residuals on video games using their images.
But Wanamaker's storied career on the stage and in film began a long time before she entered the wizarding world, and it continued to flourish after. In fact, the year she filmed "Sorcerer's Stone," she was awarded an honorary CBE for drama by the queen. According to IMDb, she starred in television shows like "Doctor Who," "My Family," "Killing Eve," "Britannia," and the 2021 Netflix adaption of the best-selling YA series "Shadow and Bone." In 2018, she reunited with "Potter" co-star Matthew Lewis (whom she hadn't seen in nearly two decades) as his mother on the series "Girlfriends." What to Watch revealed that Wanamaker completely understood why so many fans were thirsting over grown-up Neville, referring to him as a "gorgeous hunk."
Sean Biggerstaff is having a viral moment
Scottish actor Sean Biggerstaff played Quidditch keeper Oliver Wood, a role he'd never expected to play. He told Empire magazine (via Wizarding World) that he originally auditioned for Percy Weasley, but the casting director saw him as more of a wizarding jock. "I knew that the only physical description you get of Wood was 'burly', and as a 17-year-old I was built like a glass of water — so I don't know what she was thinking!" he said, "It was a totally bizarre casting decision, but I was very blessed she made it."
Since appearing in the first and second "Potter" movies, his IMDb page shows that he's continued to act, appearing in feature films like "Cashback," "Mary Queen of Scots," and "Consenting Adults," for which he won a BAFTA Scotland Award.
Biggerstaff keeps his personal life pretty quiet, but in 2020, a TikTok video by a woman named Aylish McFarlane went viral when she revealed their relationship like only a "Harry Potter" super-fan could, the Scottish Sun reports. Labeled "My childhood crush vs my boyfriend now," it showed clips of Biggerstaff as Oliver Wood and then scenes from their relationship. It's since amassed over 2 million views at the time of this writing, and she's posted other clips of Biggerstaff and what appears to be their pet parakeet.
Fiona Shaw can be seen on many hit series
Fiona Shaw depicted Aunt Petunia, Harry's wizard-loathing aunt, in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," as well as several of the subsequent films. While the character was taciturn and cruel, Shaw could relate to one aspect of her personality: She always wanted to be a witch. "In some of the scenes I remember playing the fear, the terror of letters arriving, the hatred of it. It was absolutely the hatred of envy. It really was. And I had it myself because I wanted to be in Hogwarts," she told Wizarding World.
After the film was released, Shaw received an honorary CBE, per the Irish Examiner, joining cast mate Zoë Wanamaker as another member of the "Potter" cast to receive the honor. And her acting career continues to thrive, with roles in hit series like "True Blood" (where she finally became a witch), "Killing Eve," and feature films like "The Tree of Life" and "Black Dahlia."
In 2018, Shaw married economist Sonali Deraniyagala, whom she met after reading Deraniyagala's memoir, "Wave." Shaw told Saga Magazine (via Evening Standard) that marrying earlier in her life was not in the cards due to her hectic career and schedule, and gushed over finding the perfect match. "Sonali brings me everything. Life, fun, laughter, food — she's a brilliant chef — companionship, steadiness."
Harry Potter's Richard Griffiths died in 2013
The role of Harry's muggle uncle Vernon Dursley was taken on by Richard Giffiths, a British actor who already had an extensive film and theater career under his belt. After filming "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Griffiths appeared in several of the sequels. He also starred in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," and "Hugo," (per IMDb) and went on to win Tony and Olivier awards for his role in the stage production of "The History Boys." During his Tony acceptance speech, he called the win "astounding" and thanked his wife, "who actually persuaded me not to quit the show."
But that wasn't the extent of his major awards. Along with fellow cast mate Robbie Coltrane, Griffiths was awarded an OBE in his career after "Potter" from the queen in 2008 (per BBC).
In 2018, Griffiths sadly died from complications following heart surgery, BBC reports. "He was a wonderful actor and a wonderful person," costar Fiona Shaw told Wizarding World, adding that he was a particularly great influence to the young actors Harry Melling and Daniel Radcliffe on the set of Privet Drive "because he knew so much about everything." Radcliffe concurred, saying "Any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence" (via BCC).