Harry Potter star who played Dudley Dursley says fans no longer recognise him
The Harry Potter films wrapped in 2008 (yes, it really was that long ago), and since then many of the actors have gone on to star in a number of different films, from Emma Watson‘s role in Beauty and the Beast to Tom Felton‘s part in Ophelia
Some members of the cast have changed dramatically since their time at Hogwarts, too. If it took you a second to realise that Alfred Enoch – aka Dean Thomas – was Wes Gibbins in How To Get Away With Murder, you’re not alone. Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom, also shocked fans with his Attitude cover in 2015.
However, one key actor has changed so much that he recently opened up about not being recognised by fans.
Harry Melling, who played Dudley Dursley, has starred in a number of shows since his Harry Potter days, including His Dark Materials, the 2019 BBC drama based on Philip Pullman’s Book of Dust trilogy and the new Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit.
But he revealed that these days he often isn’t recognised – although he sees it as a ‘blessing’.
Credit: Antony Jones / Getty
He told PEOPLE: ‘I think it was an unconscious thing when it started to happen.
‘I went to drama school when I was 18 and that’s kind of where the weight shifted, not for any sort of major need on my side, but it’s just something that just happened. I’ve done a lot since drama school, went to do lots of theatres.
‘I think one of the blessings of that sort of stage in my life was the fact that I didn’t get recognised.
‘I had this history of being part of the films, but also I felt like I had the opportunity to sort of cause a new start, which I think is useful.’
Did you recognise him?
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