#30. Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint was just thirteen years old when he played the lovable Ron Weasley for the first time. Harry Potter's best friend was always by his side, through thick and thin.
After the franchise ended, Grint appeared in several movies and TV shows, most recently starring in the TV series Sick Note. He is also married and has a baby now. Time flies by!
#29. Maggie Smith
Professor McGonagall was the second character ever introduced in the Harry Potter universe, as she was right there beside Dumbledore when baby Harry was brought to the Dursleys. She was always a role model to Harry and was definitely one of the best teachers at Hogwarts.
This iconic character was played by the iconic Maggie Smith, a very accomplished British actress who seemingly hasn't changed a bit in the last 30 years! She most recently had a role in the hit show Downtown Abbey.
#28. Robert Pattinson
The first big role Robert Pattinson ever had was as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This role put him on the map and certainly helped him get used to fame before he became Edward Cullen on Twilight.
These two roles definitely launched Pattinson into stardom. He hasn't changed much since then, except that now he's a superstar. He's had countless roles over the years and is now set to be the next Batman.
#27. Emma Thompson
At this point, who doesn't know who Emma Thompson is? She has been in countless movies and taken on a variety of roles that prove her talent and range. However, she looked so different as Professor Trelawney that you might even say she was unrecognizable.
The huge glasses, the messy clothes, and the long, frizzy hair were part of Trelawney's signature look, which have nothing to do with what Thompson looks like in real life. At 61 years old, she still looks gorgeous and stylish as ever.
#26. Robbie Coltrane
Hagrid was the closest thing Harry had to a father, and the two were very close. It was always a comforting sight to see the half-giant appear on screen, with his long, fluffy beard and kind eyes.
Robbie Coltrane, however, looks nothing like Hagrid in real life, and most importantly, isn't even as tall as he seemed on screen. Would you recognize him if you saw him on the street?
#25. Helena Bonham-Carter
Helena Bonham-Carter is known for playing dark, eccentric characters, but the best one she ever played has to be Bellatrix Lestrange. This wicked witch is hands down one of the most hated villains in the franchise.
In real life, however, Helena is always seen with a smile on her face and is extremely charismatic and sweet. Even after all these years, she hasn't changed much, and the biggest difference we see is in her kind expression, which is nothing like her serious, scary demeanor in the movies.
#24. Gary Oldman
One of the biggest plot twists of the series was finding out that Sirius Black was not an evil death eater that betrayed Harry's parents, but was actually their friend. Not only that, but he was also Harry's godfather.
The actor who brought this character to life was none other than Gary Oldman, who has appeared in countless movies over the years. He has a more clean, short hairstyle in real life but still looks fairly young and hasn't changed much since then.
#23. Jason Isaacs
Although he was never a true threat and was a huge coward at the end of the day, Lucius Malfoy was quite the scary character. He was evil, greedy, and selfish, just like his son though we gotta admit that beautiful hair runs in the family!
Sadly, those gorgeous platinum blond locks were just a wig and not Jason Isaacs's hair. In real life and especially now, 20 years after the first movie, Isaacs doesn't have much hair anymore, but still looks extremely good.
#22. Michael Gambon
There is no doubt that Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of all time and the only person Voldemort was afraid of. This gracious, wise character was brought to life by Michael Gambon, who was in his sixties at the time of his first appearance in The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Now at 80 years old, Gambon has barely changed at all! He looks great for his age and is still very active in the acting world. However, he does not have that epic long beard in real life, and he actually hated wearing it during filming.
#21. Fiona Shaw
Although the magical world of Harry Potter was full of evil, powerful wizards and witches, many people hated the Dursleys the most. They were just ordinary muggles, but they were extremely despicable people. One of them was Aunt Petunia, a truly evil woman who never cared for Harry in the slightest.
Fiona Shaw did a great job playing Petunia because she really managed to convince us that she was a horrible person, while in real life she is actually very sweet. She has most recently appeared in the TV series Killing Eve, for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
#20. Matthew Lewis
Neville Longbottom was mocked by his classmates for being shy and cowardly, but they were wrong to judge him. Over the years, he proved himself to be a true Gryffindor and a good friend of Harry's, saving his life and even killing Voldemort's snake, Nagini.
Matthew Lewis grew up playing the character and has had a true glow-up over the years. After the last movie was released, he fixed his teeth, got fit, and is now one of Britain's most attractive actors.
#19. Warwick Davis
Professor Flitwick was one of the many teachers at Hogwarts, and while he didn't have a big impact on the franchise, he was a part of one of the most iconic scenes of the movies: the "I'ts Leviosa, not Levio-sah!" scene.
Flitwick was played by British actor Warwick Davis, who also played a few other characters in the movies, believe it or not. He also played the goblin in Gringotts in the first movie, and also played Griphook in The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2.
#18. David Thewlis
One of the many plot twists that took place in The Prisoner of Azkaban was learning that Professor Lupin was actually a werewolf and a friend of Sirius Black. Although he was scary during his transformation, he was a truly good man and always helped Harry when he needed him.
Lupin was played by David Thewlis, who looks amazing 20 years later! The only difference is that his hair has become whiter, which is completely normal. His most recent achievements include winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role in the TV series Fargo.
#17. Mark Williams
Arthur Weasley was the head of the Weasley family, undoubtedly the best family in the Harry Potter universe. Arthur was always kind, understanding, and loved Harry as if he were one of his children. He was one of the most important male figures for Harry and was always there for him.
This lovable character was portrayed by Mark Williams, who has appeared in many other films. We are sad to tell you, however, that he is not a real red head and that he had his hair dyed for the movies.
#16. Imelda Staunton
Many, if not most, Harry Potter fas would argue that Dolores Umbridge was a bigger villain than Voldemort. During her short stay at Hogwarts, she managed to abuse students and stop them from doing magic and destroy the entire structure of the school for the benefit of the Ministry of Magic.
The worst part of it was that she did it all with a small on her face and while pretendng to be this sweet, innocent lady. Luckily, Imelda Staunton is nothing like her character and also doesn't look like her at all.
#15. Shirley Henderson
Moaning Myrtle didn't have a huge role in the Harry Potter universe, yet she made a huge impact on fans. After all, she was the annoying, creepy ghost of a young girl who was killed by the basilisk that lived in the Chamber of Secrets.
Moaning Myrtle scared everyone away and yet she had a huge crush on Harry, the only person she was nice to. This quirky character was played by Shirley Henderson, who was shockingly 37 years old at the time. Even now at 55 years old she does not look a day over 30!
#14. Tom Felton
Draco Malfoy was a textbook school bully. He hated Harry simply because he was jealous of him, and he thought he was better than everybody else just because his parents were rich. Deep inside, however, was a scared, insecure boy who redeemed himself to some extent in the last movie after realizing he made the wrong choices.
While Draco was very unlikable, Tom Felton was the opposite. He is known for being a very approachable, laid back guy who would never say no to an autograph and picture. He is blond in real life, but that bleached blond hair he had in the movies was just hair dye. Doesn't he look amazing now that he's all grown up?
#13. Julie Walters
Since we've talked about Arthur, we must talk about the matriarch of the Weasley clan, Molly Weasley. She was the only mother figure Harry ever knew, and protecting him and her children was always her number one priority.
Like most of the Weasleys, Julie Walters was in fact not a red head. You've probably seen her in many other movies, such as Mamma Mia! and, most recently, Mamma Mia 2.
#12. Evanna Lynch
Luna Lovegood was introduced in The Order of the Phoenix and even though she only appeared in half of the movies, she has always been a big fan favorite for her quirky and sweet personality.
Evanna Lynch actually got the role of Luna after she wrote a letter to J.K. Rowling and told her about how much she loved the character. She is now 29 years old and looks as gorgeous as ever.
#11. Timothy Spall
Wormtail is a character we love to hate. Even though he was a Gryffindor, he was a coward that betrayed Harry's parents, worked for Voldemort, and disguised himself as a rat for years, all while Sirius Black was in prison for the crimes he committed.
Timothy Spall was already a well-established actor before the franchise and has appeared in numerous films. He looks much thinner now than he did before and is still super busy in the industry.
#10. Brendan Gleeson
We got to know the character of Mad-Eye Moody in The Goblet of Fire, only to discover at the end that it was actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise using pollyjuice potion the whole time.
After that, we didn't get to see much of him, but he remains one of the most memorable characters in the franchise. He was played by Brendan Gleeson, an accomplished Irish actor who has won several accolades and appeared in many movies.
#9. Ralph Fiennes
Of course, we couldn't forget about the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort! This spooky villain is the main antagonist of the franchise, although he remains in hiding for most of it, preparing for his big attack on Harry Potter.
After losing his physical form, Voldemort spent years trying to recover his body and eventually ended up in this snake-like human body with no nose and gray skin. Needless to say, Ralph Fiennes actually has a nose and is a very handsome man in real life.
#8. Kenneth Branagh
Gilderoy Lockheart was the annoying yet likable Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He pretended to be a very accomplished wizard while in reality, it was all a fraud and he had no talent whatsoever.
He was played by Kenneth Branagh, who used to be married to Emma Thompson, who played Professor Trelawney. Interestingly enough, their marriage ended after Branagh had an affair with Helena Bonham-Carter, who played Bellatrix. How crazy is that?
#7. Stanislav Ianevski
Viktor Krum was the biggest Quidditch star of his time and, most importantly, Hermione's love interest in The Goblet of Fire, which made Ron extremely jealous of him. As it turned out, he had nothing to worry about.
Stanislav Ianevsky is best known for playing Krum, and he only had a role in Hostel II afterwards. The truth is, he never wanted to be an actor and was cast when he was spotted on the street by a casting director.
#6. Harry Melling
Dudley Dursley was the ultimate mommy's boy and we all hated how terribly spoiled he was. He was also mean to Harry for no reason! He actually made up with Harry in the last movie, but that scene was deleted in the end, which is a shame.
Although he was a brat in the movies, he is actually super sweet in real life. He has continued to work as an actor and lost a lot of weight. He most recently starred in The Queen's Gambit, the hit Netflix show.
#5. Emma Watson
Hermione saved Harry and Ron so many times that we lost count. As the smartest girl in Hogwarts, she helped Harry every step of the way and never expected anything in return because she was a true friend.
You've probably heard of Emma Watson a million times already, and that's because she is the biggest star to come out of Harry Potter, alongside Robert Pattinson, perhaps. She is doing extremely well in acting and modeling and she is a dedicated activist.
#4. Christian Coulson
Before he became Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord was just a young boy named Tom Riddle, who dreamed of becoming the most powerful wizard there ever was. After he found out he was the heir of Slytherin, he opened the Chamber of Secrets and unleashed terror in Hogwarts.
We get a glimpse of young Voldemort in The Chamber of Secrets and we all have to admit that we all had a crush on him back then! He was played by Christian Coulson who, at 42 years old, still looks super young.
#3. David Bradley
Argus Filch was the creepy caretaker of Hogwarts, who always tried to catch Harry doing something he was not supposed to do and get him expelled. Although he was never a threat, he was extremely scary and evil.
The man behind this despicable character is David Bradley, who is a very nice guy in real life. He's had an extensive career spanning decades, so you've probably seen him in other projects, such as Game of Thrones and Afterlife.
#2. Bonnie Wright
Ginny Weasley didn't have a big part to play in the first few movies, but she slowly grew up to become the strong, brave witch that Harry would fall in love with. The two end up getting married and having three children together.
Ginny was played by Bonnie Wright, who hasn't changed a single bit in all this time. Although she still works as an actress, Wright prefers to work behind the scenes as a director and screenwriter.
#1. Daniel Radcliffe
Of course, we couldn't complete this list without the hero himself, Harry Potter! After all, there wouldn't be seven books, eight movies, and a super successful collection of video games, theme parks, and merchandising without him, right?
Although growing up in the spotlight was difficult, Daniel Radcliffe still continues to work as an actor and has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows of various genres, showing his incredible range and talent as an actor. Also, he has a pretty sweet beard now.