Whatever Happened To Dudley Dursley From Harry Potter?
More than a decade has passed since the cast of the "Harry Potter" franchise waved their wands in triumph at finally defeating that darkest of Dark wizards, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). While some of the cast members have more-or-less left their acting days behind since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2," others have continued to earn rave reviews for their work on screens big and small. That's hardly surprising in regard to the franchise's elder cast members since that faction fronted a veritable who's who of legendary U.K. thespians who had all made names for themselves prior to their "Harry Potter" tenure. For much of the younger cast, however, 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" will ever remain the first credit listed on their IMDb pages.
Naturally, we've all been keeping a close eye on the career tracks of "Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who portrayed franchise figureheads Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasley, respectively. It's safe to say that fewer eyes have been watching the career of Harry Melling, the actor who portrayed Harry's Muggle-world nemesis, Dudley Dursley. Here's what he's been up to since the "Harry Potter" franchise came to an end.
Harry Melling has carved out an impressive post-Potter career
Harry Melling has indeed kept at the acting game since his final appearance as Dudley "Big D" Dursley. And yes, he's booked some seriously impressive film and television projects since the O.G. wizarding franchise ended. Even franchise fanatics might be forgiven for not recognizing Melling in many of his post-"Potter" works, of course, because the actor has done some serious growing up since last playing the spoiled-rotten Dursley offspring.
Among the movies you may not have recognized Harry Melling in is the overlooked 2016 gem "The Lost City of Z," in which he appeared alongside Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Charlie Hunnam. Melling followed that role with appearances opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Current War" and as the loquacious limbless thespian from the Coen brothers' 2018 Western anthology "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." He's also delivered memorable work in the action-packed "The Old Guard," the Southern Gothic drama "The Devil All the Time," and Joel Coen's solo directorial effort "The Tragedy of Macbeth."
On the television front, Harry Melling has been just as productive, claiming supporting roles on BBC One's "The War of the Worlds" and the HBO fantasy hit "His Dark Materials." Still, Harry Melling is perhaps most recognized today for playing the studious but beleaguered chess grandmaster wannabe Harry Beltik opposite Anya Taylor-Joy's wunderkind Beth Harmon in "The Queen's Gambit." And with high-profile gigs on the way via this year's "Please Baby Please" and "The Pale Blue Eye," the future remains bright for the former "Harry Potter" star.