Released between 2001-2011, the Harry Potter films are a staple of modern pop culture. Here is our official ranking of all the films from eighth place down to first.
Despite making multiple appearances in the books, Gilderoy Lockhart (played by Sir Kenneth Branagh), only features in The Chamber of Secrets. Here’s why the pompous wizard celebrity should have been in more Harry Potter films.
Harry Potter both made household names and revitalized careers for its main stars. However, some of the supporting Harry Potter cast members flew more under the radar. Here are 10 actors from the series that you may have forgotten about.
Although boy wizard Harry Potter is not in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, some older characters are. Could Robbie Coltrane’s Rubeus Hagrid be appearing in the prequel series?
Adapting JK Rowling’s 7-part Harry Potter series of novels would have been an arduous task for any filmmaker. A film is much more confined with time than a novel. Fans have had to go without classic Harry Potter characters and scenes. This also includes moments that took place in the books, now somewhat non-existent in the movie canon.
Particularly affected were the characters. Each of Rowling’s Harry Potter characters were unique and many had their own sub-storylines, away from Harry in the main plot. Unfortunately, films can only focus on one clear protagonist, that of course being Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe).
Listed below are 10 characters who got the short end of the stick. They were either not featured as much as shown in the books and in some cases, not certain films at all.
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Along with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, Hermione Jean Granger is one of three main characters in the Harry Potter series.
She was played by Emma Watson in all eight films, growing from an 11-year-old Muggle-born first year to a young woman and powerful witch.
Hermione is the favourite character of both author JK Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted seven of the movies.
One of Hermione’s most defining traits is her intelligence. From very early on, it is clear that she excels when compared to her classmates by quite a mile.
In fact, this intelligence almost led to her being Sorted into Ravenclaw, the Hogwarts House which values this quality.
When she was younger, this intelligence came across as being stuck-up or bossy, which often rubbed people the wrong way. Thus, Hermione found it difficult to make friends.
Although introduced almost immediately after Harry boards the Hogwarts Express for the first time, she enters his life as a friend much later compared to Ron.
As ardent Potter fans will remember, the two boys befriended Hermione after they survived a troll attack together.
From then on, Hermione’s intelligence became a great asset to the group. Whether it was something small to helping with homework… to much later, when it was a matter of life or death.
Although petrified into unconsciousness at the time, it is Hermione’s research that helps Harry figure out that a Basilisk was roaming Hogwarts’ pipes during Chamber of Secrets.
In Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione’s time-turner helps save two innocent lives; Sirius Black, who had been wrongly imprisoned for murder over a decade earlier and the hippogriff Buckbeak, who was being unfairly sentenced to death.
In Order of the Phoenix, it was Hermione who had the idea for what later became the Dumbledore’s Army, a group that played an important role in the fall of Lord Voldemort.
Finally, in Deathly Hallows, it is clear that Harry and Ron would have struggled on the quest for Horcruxes had Hermione not been there whether it be sourcing shelter, healing splinching or getting out of dangerous situations.
While typically listed third (i.e. Harry, Ron, Hermione), Ms. Granger was ultimately an invaluable part of Harry Potter’s life, on some occasions saving him as well as being a true friend.
While many characters appeared in the Harry Potter books and films, author JK Rowling regards a selected few (and the actors that played them) in a unique way.
Of course, the three main characters are the Boy Wizard Harry Potter and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. These are undoubtedly the most familiar to fans of the series, whether readers or viewers.
That being said, several others have featured prominently alongside the trio, a point which JK Rowling herself has acknowledged.
At the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011, Rowling referred to seven cast members as the ‘Big 7’ of the series.
They are Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson , Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright and Tom Felton.
What have the seven gotten up to since leaving the world of Potter behind?Read on to find out.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Immediately after leaving Hogwarts and the Boy Who Lived behind, Radcliffe followed up the eight-part series with 2012’s The Woman In Black, a horror film on which he reunited with Potter co-star Ciaran Hinds (Aberforth Dumbledore).
Other films that Radcliffe has appeared in since include Horns, Imperium, Now You See Me 2, Kill Your Darlings and Swiss Army Man.
He has also played young Dr. Vladimir Bomgard and Craig/Prince Chauncley respectively on the television series A Young Doctor’s Notebook and Miracle Workers.
Additionally, Radcliffe has also appeared on Broadway in How To Succeed Without Really Trying. He also starred in other plays such as The Cripple of Inishmaan, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Lifespan Of A Fact.
Speaking to Variety in February 2020, Radcliffe stated that he was not interested in reprising the role of Harry Potter in the Fantastic Beasts films.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
Grint’s post-Potter projects have encompassed film, theatre and TV. He appeared with late co-star Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) in 2013’s CBGB.
His other film projects include Into The White and Postman Pat: The Movie.
On the television front, Grint has starred in the series Sick Note, Servant and Snatch, also serving as a producer on the latter.
In 2013, Grint made his stage debut in Jez Butterworth’s Mojo.
More recently, it was announced that Grint is expecting his first child with his girlfriend Georgia Groome.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
Once known as bookworm Hermione Granger in the Potter series, Emma Watson has played many other roles in the years since leaving her behind.
Most notably, she appeared as the lead in films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Bling Ring and Circle.
Watson also had co-starring roles in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Noah and Little Women.
In 2015, she appeared in British sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley, playing a character named “Reverend Iris”.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
Felton has also experimented with both film and TV projects since moving on from Draco Malfoy and his pure-blood beliefs.
In the same year that Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released, Felton appeared in Rise of the Planet Of The Apes as Dodge Landon.
His other feature film projects include Ophelia, Feed, Against The Sun, Megan Leavey and Risen.
Felton has also starred in US network television with starring roles as Erich Blunt on the first season of Murder In The First and as Julian Albert on season three of The Flash.
In 2018, he appeared in the YouTube Premium series Origin in the main role of Logan.
Matthew Lewis
Lewis starred alongside Timothy Spall and his real-life brother Anthony Lewis in BBC drama The Syndicate. Also for BBC, he appeared in Bluestone 42.
In 2016, Lewis starred in the series Ripper Street as DS Samuel Drummond.
Other TV roles include a guest stint in Death In Paradise and a main role on Girlfriends in 2017.
Lewis married his girlfriend Angela Jones in 2018.
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
Since walking-off camera after Harry Potter, Wright has opted to stay behind it by pursuing directing. Between 2012 and 2019, she has directed various short films and music videos.
Wright has also acted in films such as After the Dark, Before I Sleep and Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg?
In 2012, Wright graduated from the London College of Communication with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Television Production.
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
Like her former co-stars, Lynch also continued acting after Harry Potter came to an end.
She had a cameo appearance in 2019’s Madness In The Method while also starring in GBF, My Name Is Emily and the BBC television film, Danny and the Human Zoo.
In 2018, Lynch participated in Dancing With The Stars, being partnered with Keo Motsepe and finishing third in the competition.
Since November 2017, Lynch has also had a podcast called TheChickPeeps, which is co-hosted by Potter co-star Robbie Jarvis (who played young James Potter).