Back in 2005, the Chronicles of Narnia to a contemporary audience, with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Find out what the cast are doing now, more than 15 years after leaving Narnia behind.
The Chronicles of Narnia, as written by novelist C.S. Lewis, began its life in 1950 with the publication of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. In the decades since, multiple adaptations of Lewis’ work have been made. However, none are as cinematic and high budgeted as Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media’s recent series (2005-2010). These films were directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek) and later Michael Apted.
Of course, the Pevensie siblings are the undisputed heart and soul of the Chronicles of Narnia – whether the whole group or a small fraction are featured. At the very beginning, four young actors were needed to bring the beloved protagonists to life. William Moseley was cast as eldest sibling Peter, Anna Popplewell played talented archer Susan, Skandar Keynes portrayed rebellious Edmund and last but not least, Georgie Henley embodied Lucy, the endearing youngest sibling. As the series progressed, other emerging British acting talent, namely Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and Will Poulter (Eustace), also joined the fray.
What have this core group of six have been up to since their respective Narnia journeys ended – are they still acting? How much has being in The Chronicles of Narnia affected their later career choices? Let’s take a look.
William Moseley as Peter Pevensie
Moseley, originally from Gloucestershire, was cast as Peter, future High King of Narnia in his late teens. He appeared in a major starring role for the first two films and made a cameo appearance in Voyage of The Dawn Treader, despite Peter not being present in C.S. Lewis’ book of the same name.
Since departing from the Chronicles of Narnia, Moseley has steadily continued his acting career. Perhaps most notably, the now 33-year-old joined another monarchy opposite Elizabeth Hurley in The Royals, a soap opera aired on E!. He appeared in 2013’s Run. Moseley met his long-time girlfriend, actress Kelsey Asbille on that project. Other notable films include The Little Mermaid, Friend Request, In Like Flynn and a small role in Artemis Fowl.
The actor occasionally uses social media to reflect on his time with The Chronicles of Narnia, sharing a reunion photo with the other three “Pevensies” on Instagram in 2018.
Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie
With her appearance in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Anna Popplewell followed in the footsteps of her younger brother, Peter Pan‘s Freddie Popplewell (aka Michael Darling), in appearing in an adaptation of a classic British children’s story. Popplewell reprised her role as Susan in Prince Caspian. Furthermore, similarly to Moseley, she made a brief appearance in Voyage of The Dawn Treader.
Popplewell has also continued in her acting career, playing series regular ‘Lady Lola’ on The CW series Reign between 2013-2016. She also starred in the 2012 Halo web series, Forward Unto Dawn, starring in the role of Chyler Silva.
Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie
Skandar Keynes, a descendant of renowned naturalist Charles Darwin, appeared as Edmund, the second-youngest Pevensie sibling, who briefly served as a traitorous antagonist in the first film. Keynes reprised the role of Edmund in both Prince Caspian and Voyage of The Dawn Treader. He is one of the few cast members to have a main role in all three films.
Although Keynes had an acting career prior to the Chronicles of Narnia, his only performance since the franchise ended came in 2014 – a voice role in the audio drama The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty: In Freedom’s Cause, as Sir Allan Kerr. Ultimately, Keynes announced his retirement from acting in 2016, instead pursuing a career in politics.
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie
Georgie Henley played Lucy Pevensie, the youngest sibling and also the first to discover Narnia. Of the four children in the first film, Henley was the only one who had not acted professionally before. Alongside Keynes, Henley reprised her role of Lucy for the following two films and remained a prominent cast member throughout the trilogy.
In her later career, Henley has appeared in films such as Perfect Sisters (opposite Abigail Breslin and Mira Sorvino), as well as The Sisterhood of Night. On television, Henley starred as Margaret Tudor on the Starz series The Spanish Princess, between 2019-2020. In January 2019, Henley was cast in an unnamed Game of Thrones prequel, which ultimately did not make it to series.
Ben Barnes as Caspian
Ben Barnes was a latecomer to the Chronicles of Narnia, having joined the cast in 2008’s Prince Caspian as the title character. Born in 1981, Barnes was 27 at the time of Prince Caspian‘s release and had an already established career in Film, Television and Theatre. Two years after Prince Caspian, Barnes joined co-stars Keynes and Henley for The Voyage of The Dawn Treader.
In between Narnia films, Barnes portrayed the title character in Dorian Gray, opposite Colin Firth. His further films following the franchise ending include Killing Bono, The Big Wedding, Jackie & Ryan and Seventh Son. Barnes has also made his mark on television, landing series regular roles on both HBO’s Westworld (as Logan Delos) and Netflix’s The Punisher ( as Billy Russo).
However, despite his career having moved on significantly, Barnes also looks back fondly on his time in Narnia. Most recently, he shared a throwback picture on Twitter to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Voyage of The Dawn Treader.
Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb
Will Poulter was the final major cast member to join the Chronicles of Narnia, playing Eustace Scrubb solely in Voyage of The Dawn Treader. Poulter was 17 at the time of that film’s release and had previously attended the London-based Harrodian School, with fellow alumni including Robert Pattinson, Jack Whitehall, and George MacKay. As for his acting career prior to Narnia, Poulter starred in Son of Rambow, a 2007 British comedy film which was written and directed by Garth Jennings.
Poulter has been able to have a diverse career since his appearance in the Chronicles of Narnia. He has worked in comedy (We’re The Millers), adventure (The Revenant), war (War Machine), dystopian drama (The Maze Runner) and period pieces (Detroit). In 2018, Poulter also notably appeared in the Black Mirror episode “Bandersnatch”, which notably allowed viewers to influence what happened in the storyline.
Even though all six of these actors have grown and evolved since their time in the Narnia films, the memories will always be there for them and for the countless fans around the globe.
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