Ten years and eight blockbuster films. There's no other way to describe the Harry Potter franchise than as a total phenomenon. J.K. Rowling first published the franchise's debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997 to immediate critical acclaim, so no wonder when the first film was released in 2001 it instantly sparked a surge of Potterheads.
Daniel Radcliffe: Beyond The Boy Who Lived
Daniel Radcliffe starred as the title character, 'The Boy Who Lived' if you will, in the eight-film franchise. The now-35-year-old dedicated everything he had to Harry Potter, only starring in one other film, December Boys, while filming the Warner Bros. movies. However, after filming wrapped on the final film, Daniel took on a totally different persona, starring in the horror film The Woman in Black.
Over the years he's starred in a number of popular movies such as What If, Now You See Me, and Kill Your Darlings. He has also starred in a myriad of stage products such as Merrily We Roll Along and The Cripple of Inishmaan.
Move over Ginny Weasley, as Daniel Radcliffe has been in a relationship with Erin Darke since 2012 after they met on the set of Kill Your Darlings. The couple welcomed their first child to the world in 2023.
Rupert Grint: Beyond Ron Weasley
Rupert Grint's first acting credit was as Ron Weasley in the Philosopher's Stone, but it's safe to say it catapulted his career. Like his co-star Daniel, Rupert has since appeared in both film and stage productions on Broadway and The West End. Some of his credits include movies like Moonwalkers and Knock at the Cabin, while he's appeared on stage in It's Only A Play and Mojo.
After fans picked up on his likeness to Ed Sheeran, the actor starred in the music video for the singer's track Lego House. Rupert found his real-life Hermione Grainger in Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging star Georgia Groome, whom he's been in a relationship with since 2011. The couple share a daughter named Wednesday, born in 2020.
Emma Watson: Beyond Hermione Granger
Like Rupert, Emma Watson's first acting credit was as Hermione Granger in the Philosopher's Stone. She enjoyed an immensely successful career off the back of the franchise; her most well-known roles being in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Little Women. Emma hasn't appeared in any productions since Little Women in 2019.
Oftentimes considered a role model, Emma is well-known for her activism and advocacy. In 2014, she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which advocates for gender equality. A swot in real life, the actress graduated from Brown University with a BA in English literature in 2014, and in 2023 she began an MA in creative writing at the University of Oxford.
Tom Felton: Beyond Draco Malfoy
Tom Felton embodied the slimy Draco Malfoy perfectly in the Harry Potter franchise. The now-37-year-old has appeared in other films such as The Borrowers, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Apparition. As well as his acting credits, Tom also has a successful singing career. In May 2022, he made his West End debut as Sam in the London production of 2:22 A Ghost Story. That October, he released his memoir Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard. The actor was romantically linked to South African jewellery designer Roxanne Danya Plit and it's believed they're still together.
Ralph Fiennes: Beyond Lord Voldemort
Since he adopted the role of Lord Voldemort, we can't see Ralph Fiennes without thinking of him as Harry Potter's nemesis. That being said, it's not like he doesn't boast a myriad of incredible acting credits. He's starred in everything from Maid in Manhattan and In Bruges to the Grand Budapest Hotel. He also notably took on the role of Gareth Mallory/M the head of MI6 in the James Bond franchise in Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die.
Ralph is a UNICEF ambassador and has worked in India, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda and Romania. In terms of his personal life, Ralph wed English actress Alex Kingston in 1993, but they divorce four years later in 1997 after his affair with Francesca Annis. He and Francesca then parted ways in 2006 after 11 years together. In 2017, the actor was granted Serbian citizenship. Fun fact: Did you know his nephew Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays the young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter. Ah, another nepo baby for the list!
Sir Michael Gambon: Beyond Dumbledore
Though he wasn't the original, Sir Michael Gambon was one hell of choice for Hogwarts Headmaster Professor Dumbledore after Richard Harris passed away. From one Irishman to another! His acting work saw him undertake roles in projects such as The King's Speech, Emma and Little Women. In 1998, the Cabra native was knighted for his services to drama; His celebrated career saw him receive four BAFTA Awards, three Olivier Awards, and the 2017 Irish Film and Television Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Sir Michael was married to his wife Anne Miller, with whom he shared a son named Fergus, from 1962 until his death. In 2002, the actor's affair with Philippa Hart, a woman 25 years his junior. They shared two sons and remained together until his death. The actor was forced to retired from stage acting in 2015 due to memory loss, and eight years later on September 27, 2023, he passed away at the age of 82.
Dame Maggie Smith: Beyond Professor McGonagall
Dame Maggie Smith, who played Hogwarts' Professor Minerva McGonagall, boasted an impressive career that saw her in more than 60 film roles and win Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globes. She made her professional stage debut on Broadway in 1956 in New Faces of '56 at the age of 22. In 1967, Maggie married her first husband Robert Stephens, with whom she shares two children- Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens; however they divorced several years later. She married playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 and they were together until his death in 1998. In 1970, Dame Maggie was appointed a CBE and 20 years later in 1990 she was made a Dame for services to the performing arts. After Harry Potter wrapped, the actress appeared in a number of high-profile films and TV shows such as Downton Abbey and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Dame Maggie sadly passed away on October 27, 2024 at the age of 89.
Robbie Coltrane: Beyond Hagrid
Robbie Coltrane, who played Hogwarts’ loveable gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, sadly passed away on October 14, 2022 at the age of 72. The Scotsman, whose real name was Anthony Robert McMillan, also had well-known roles as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in the James Bond franchise and Dr Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald in the TV series Cracker. Robbie was appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for his services to drama. Over the span of his career, the actor won three British Academy Awards, a Royal Television Society Award, two Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, a Royal Television Society Award and a Monte-Carlo Television Festival Award. Robbie married Rhona Gemmell but they separated in 2003. He has two children Spencer and Alice, the latter of whom has followed in his footsteps as an actor.
Alan Rickman: Beyond Severus Snape
If you're like us then you have a very love-hate relationship with Professor Snape... and with Alan Rickman's character in Love Actually. That damn necklace! But off-screen, Alan's fans adored him. Throughout his career, the actor was nominated for four British Academy Awards, of which he won one, two Drama Desk Awards, two Tony Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, of which he won one, two Primetime Emmy Awards, of which he won one and won a Golden Globe Award. He turned down a CBE, but never made the reason public. Aside from his work in the Harry Potter franchise, Alan was also well-known for his roles in Love Actually, Alice In Wonderland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. A then-19-year-old Alan met his life-long partner Rima Horton in 1965. They tied the knot in a private ceremony in New York in 2012. The actor had a minor stroke in August 2015 which led to a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He passed away in London on January 14, 2016 at the age of 69. His final two films were Alice Through the Looking Glass and Eye in the Sky, both of which were dedicated to his memory.
The Magic Endures: A Lasting Legacy
Over the course of 10 years, the stars of Harry Potter brought magic, mischief and more to millions of fans around the world. Based on the series of seven books by J.K. Rowling, stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint captured the hearts of viewers between 2001 and 2011 as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. The eight-film series raked in more than $7.5 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time. The actors have taken their careers in new directions since the final movie hit theaters, but they still have plenty of love for one another. Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley throughout the series, gushed over her colleagues while speaking to Us Weekly exclusively in February 2020. "It's amazing," she said of the moments she's shared with her cast members over the years, both on and off screen. "Very powerful." The franchise’s cast reunited for a retrospective special to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which aired in January 2022, on Max. "It feels like no time has passed and loads of time has passed," Watson said in the trailer. The franchise may have come to an end, but the memories and the magic live on.
