It’s been twenty years since J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter books hit the shelves and sixteen years since those stories first graced the big screen. From 2001 to 2011, the eight Harry Potter movies became one of the biggest movie franchises of the 21st century, dominating the box office and charming critics. Since the final film debuted six years ago, the large ensemble of talented actors have moved onto other projects, as the Potter universe continues with a fresh cast from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). Here is an update on what these wizards have been up to since they hung up their wands and brooms.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Radcliffe has had a healthy acting life after playing the titular young hero, playing a variety of roles on stage and screen. His stage roles included Billy Claven in The Cripple of Inishmaan and J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He’s a long way from playing a wizard, but he did play a sufficient villain for magicians in Now You See Me 2 (2016). And he’s clearly shown a desire to take on the oddest of roles as in Horns (2014) where he played a demon and Swiss Army Man (2016) where he played a talking corpse. Harry Potter may be the least fantastical role of his career at this rate.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
While Grint hasn’t been as big in the spotlight after his Potter days, he’s very much an active actor. During the Harry Potter movies, he attempted to branch out into other films with supporting roles in the fart comedy Thunderpants (2002) and teen comedy Driving Lessons (2004). After Potter, he appeared in smaller films such as the music drama CBGB (2013) and moon landing comedy Moonwalkers (2015). He most recently landed a primary role on the streaming series Snatch, based on the movie of the same name.
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Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
Watson’s career may have shined the brightest after the Potter franchise had ended. As soon as the last Potter film debuted, Watson wasted no time taking on leading roles in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and The Bling Ring (2013). She continued to be cast in leading roles, eventually landing as the star attraction of Belle in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. So, yeah, you could say she is doing well.
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Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
The bitter boy from the house of Slytherin has stuck mostly to supporting roles in the last few years. Though never leading a picture, Felton has been lucky enough to have his name attached to such notable pictures as Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Megan Leavey (2017). You may have also spotted him on TV’s The Flash, playing the recurring character of Doctor Alchemy.
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Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
Despite being a key player in slaying Voldemort, Matthew Lewis never broke out as a big movie star, but still maintained a solid presence on television. He was able to land some solid roles on British television programs The Syndicate and Bluestone 42. His latest of television roles included appearances on Ripper Street and Happy Valley.
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Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)
Smith is a machine of a veteran actor that never stops, even when the Harry Potter movies were still going. By the time Potter ended, she already had a regular role on TV’s Downton Abbey and was one of the leads in the elderly ensemble comedies The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015). She still shines on her own as a leading lady in My Old Lady (2014) and The Lady in the Van (2015).
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Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort)
Fiennes was already a notable actor before he first appeared in Harry Potter and continued to be just as strong of an actor after. Even after being nominated for the Oscar of Best Actor with his iconic roles in Schindler’s List (1993) and The English Patient (1996), Fiennes’ best days were still in front of him after playing the villainous Voldemort for four Potter movies. Some of his finest post-Potter acting can be seen as the mischievous Monsieur Gustave in Wes Anderson’s ensemble comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and the James Bond movies Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), where Fiennes landed the recurring role of M, replacing Judi Dench.
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David Thewlis (Remus Lupin)
Thewlis has been a very busy actor in the last few years. He’s been a supporting player in Oscar darlings War Horse (2011) and The Theory of Everything (2014), as well as the lead voice in Charlie Kaufman’s alternative animated film Anomalisa (2015), also nominated for an Academy Award. His more recent role was playing the villain on the third season of Fargo.
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Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange)
After playing the crazy Bellatrix, Helena continued to seek more weird and quirky roles that boded well for her style. These characters included the sinister Dr. Julia Hoffman in Dark Shadows (2013), the odd Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (2015) and the short-fused Red Queen in both Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
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Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew)
Spall may have played rat-faced henchmen in both the Potter movies and the Disney fantasy Enchanted (2007), but he’s also a versatile enough actor to squeeze his way into many roles. He was nominated for multiple accolades for his performance of J. M. W. Turner in Mr. Turner (2014) and dabbled in television as the lead on Blandings. His most recent roles movie roles include the Holocaust denier David Irving in Denial (2016) and Protestant religious leader Ian Paisley in The Journey (2016), both of which are performances where it’s hard to believe that Spall is under that makeup.