Why Remus Lupin From Harry Potter Looks So Familiar
Although Remus Lupin does not appear in the first couple of "Harry Potter" movies as he is not yet a part of the story, he becomes a significant character during the third movie, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," when he comes to Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Like every teacher who takes that job, Lupin only lasts for one year because of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse. However, he remains an important character throughout the remaining films as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a mentor to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends in the war against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Ultimately, Lupin does give his life in the Battle of Hogwarts, where teachers, students, and other allies fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, leaving many longtime fans devasted.
Viewers of the "Harry Potter" franchise might wonder why Professor Remus Lupin looks so familiar. Let's look at some of the several other popular films and television shows he has appeared in, both before and after "Harry Potter."
He played Ares in the Marvel films
One of the reasons why Remus Lupin from the "Harry Potter" movies looks so familiar is because the actor, David Thewlis, also plays Ares (the ancient Greek God of War) in some movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Firstly, in "Wonder Woman" (2017), Thewlis plays Sir Patrick, a friendly-seeming politician who turns out to be Ares in disguise. Wonder Woman, A. K. A., the Amazonian Diana (Gal Gadot), must defeat Ares in the battle to bring World War I to an end.
Since characters from Marvel films often appear in multiple movies with overlapping storylines, Thewlis also portrays Ares in "Justice League" (2017) as well as "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021). In both of these, Ares does not play as much of a significant role. However, he is still shown in flashback scenes that provide background to explain the ancient origins of the evil forces the Justice League must fight.
And the father in I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Another film project from which one might recognize David Thewlis is the psychological thriller "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" (2020), which is directed by Charlie Kaufman and is based on the 2016 novel of the same title by Iain Reid. In the movie, a young woman (Jessie Buckley) is considering breaking up with her boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons), who she has been dating for almost two months. However, instead, she goes with Jake to visit his parents on their farm. Once she arrives, she notices various creepy details, such as scratches on the door leading to the basement. She also starts to remember events differently from her boyfriend, bringing more confusion and chaos into the couple's orbit.
In "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," David Thewlis plays Jake's father, whereas Toni Collette plays Jake's mother. While certainly providing a chilling performance, the movie's praise was split among fans (Rotten Tomatoes).
Was a dirty cop in Enola Holmes 2
Another recent film in which David Thewlis played an important role is the mystery movie "Enola Holmes 2" where he once again plays a dastardly villain. In "Enola Holmes 2," Millie Bobby Brown stars as Enola, the teenage sister of the much-lauded Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill). In the film, Enola has plans to start her own detective agency, but unlike her famous brother, she has trouble attracting as many clients. However, when a young girl comes in looking for her lost sister, Enola sees herself teaming up with Sherlock as their cases intertwine.
Throughout her struggle to crack the case, Enola is thwarted by Superintendent Grail (David Thewlis), who is being bribed to frame her for murder. While some may hope to see Grail back in action, considering he was righteously defeated at the end of "Enola Holmes 2," Thewlis presumably will not be in any future "Enola Holmes" projects.
Played super-villian John Dee in The Sandman
In addition to starring in numerous movies, David Thewlis has also appeared in various television shows. One of these is the Netflix original series "The Sandman" (2022), based on the DC comic books by Neil Gaiman, which came out in 1989. There are dozens of "The Sandman" comics, but so far, there is only one season of the hit Netflix show, although "The Sandman" Season 2 is currently underway.
In "The Sandman," the personification of Dreams, named Dream (Tom Sturridge), escapes after being imprisoned for several decades, then embarks on a quest to find the lost tools that he needs for his job; sand, ruby, and helm.
David Thewlis once again plays a super-villain in the form of John Dee, who appears in Episode 2: "Imperfect Hosts," Episode 3: "Dream a Little Dream of Me," Episode 4: "A Hope in Hell," and Episode 5: "24/7." John Dee, also known as Doctor Destiny, got ahold of Dream's ruby while Dream was imprisoned. With the ruby, Dee can alter people's dreams (while they are awake and asleep) and thereby control their minds, and he uses this ability for evil.
Made his way into horror as Keith Jennings in The Omen (2006)
David Thewlis is an actor who can succeed in a variety of genres. In addition to appearing in fantasy, thriller, and comedy films and shows, he has also starred in the horror movie "The Omen," the fifth and final film in the franchise. However, rather than being a continuation of the storyline from the four previous movies, the 2006 film is a remake of the plot from the original 1976 movie "The Omen."
In "The Omen" (2006), a man named Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) is told that his baby was stillborn while his wife Katherine (Julia Stiles) is still unconscious after giving birth. A priest at the hospital, Father Spiletto (Giovanni Lombardo Radice), suggests that Robert could adopt a newborn orphan, which he does, swapping the orphan out for the stillborn child without telling Katherine. However, the adopted child, Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick), is the Antichrist so disturbing tragedies occur around the family.
David Thewlis plays Keith Jennings, a photographer who starts seeing disturbing things in his photographs, including premonitions of peoples' deaths. Although tragedy befalls Jennings before the end of "The Omen," the discoveries from his photos help reveal the truth of what is wrong with Damien.
David Thewlis has also voiced several animated characters
In addition to his numerous roles in live-action films and television series, David Thewlis may also sound familiar because he has voice-acted in several animated films and shows. For example, Thewlis voiced Earthworm in the 1996 movie "James and the Giant Peach," based on the 1961 novel by Roald Dahl. He is also set to voice Boss Man in the upcoming film "The Amazing Maurice."
Additionally, Thewlis has voice-acted in animated shows for adults. He voices one of the Shame Wizards in "Big Mouth," the Netflix series about teenagers going through puberty and the personified hormone monsters that haunt them. Thewlis also voices Lionel St. Swithens (the same Shame Wizard) in the spin-off series "Human Resources."
Thewlis also guest starred as Stewie's British father in Season 12, Episode 21: "Chap Stewie" of "Family Guy" in 2014, where Stewie tries to erase himself from history but botches the experiment and accidentally becomes the baby of a British family.