Despite the fact that the initial films finished over 10 years ago, Harry Potter remains one of the biggest brands in modern pop culture. The rich world of the films was full of charm, a wondrous sense of fantasy adventure, and many delightful characters who came to be instantly adored by the fan base. While the Harry Potter series made some young stars, like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, it also featured many now-famous actors in roles that were overlooked, and even a couple of major stars at the time whose performances went unnoticed.
From international sensations like Rege-Jean Page and Domhnall Gleeson to icons of the small screen like Michelle Fairley and Frank Dillane, these actors are widely recognized, yet their efforts in the Harry Potter films remain mysteriously underappreciated. While some are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos, others are major parts that had a significant presence in the movies.
10 Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Tom Riddle (Aged 11)
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)
As the nephew of Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes, there was perhaps no one better to play the young Tom Riddle than Hero Fiennes Tiffin who made an impact with his minor role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Despite the apparent familial link, director David Yates stated that Tiffin got the role due to his ability to bring darkness to the part.
Through the film’s flashbacks, Tiffin appears as an 11-year-old Riddle, with Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) revealing his memories of meeting the child to Harry as he readies Potter to destroy Voldemort’s remaining horcuxes. Despite Tiffin being quite impactful in the role, it wasn’t until over a decade later that he became a central figure on the screen again with his recurring role as Hardin Scott in the romantic drama After film series based upon Anna Todd’s novels.
9 Julianne Hough as a Gryffindor Student
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)
A renowned actress, singer, dancer, and television personality, Julianne Hough is known for her appearances in musical dramas like Rock of Ages, Burlesque, and 2011’s Footloose, as well as popular films such as Safe Haven and Dirty Grandpa. Additionally, Hough has also been a regular on the reality/dance competition series Dancing with the Stars.
However, her first role came in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewhere she featured as an extra. She appears as a Gryffindor student, first in the stands, cheering alongside Ron and Dean (Alfred Enoch) during the Quidditch match, before later featuring in a scene in the great hall sitting next to the Weasley twins. Despite the role being relatively small, Hough looked back on the experience with fondness when she took to social media to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter novel’s release in 2017.
8 Verne Troyer
Griphook, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)
Despite enjoying a solid chunk of screen time, many audiences would have had no idea that Verne Troyer appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The actor, who was best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies but also made appearances in Jingle All the Way and Men in Black, had a brief part in the first Harry Potter film as Griphook, the goblin who aided Harry and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) at Gringotts.
Troyer was unrecognizable in the role with the effects team’s incredible prosthetics work – which was an underrated feature across the Harry Potter films – completely transforming the actor into a mesmerizing fantasy being. The role of Griphook was recast later in the franchise with Warwick Davis – who played a number of characters in the films, most notably Professor Flitwick – taking over the part.
7 Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Roger Davies
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005)
Henry Lloyd-Hughes spent eight months working on the set of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as he played the part of Roger Davies, but he ended up with very little to show for it, with all his lines being cut from the final film. In fact, the actor only has a brief appearance during the Yule Ball where he attends the festivities as Fleur Delacour’s (Clémence Poésy) date. Sadly, Roger’s prowess, which saw him become the captain of Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team, had to be overlooked amid the film’s focus on the Triwizard Tournament.
Since appearing in Harry Potter, Lloyd-Hughes has become a prolific figure on British television, appearing in everything from teenage comedies like The Inbetweeners to thrilling murder mysteries like Ragdoll. His best work thus far came in the second season of Killing Eve where he co-starred as Aaron Peel, the domineering tech company CEO.
6 Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)
After years of toiling away in canceled British series and overlooked films, Freddie Stroma seems to have finally landed his breakout role in the hit series Peacemaker, James Gunn‘s energetic spin-off of The Suicide Squad. However, it may come as a shock for audiences to learn that Stroma appeared in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as Cormac McLaggen.
With Ron (Rupert Grint) in the midst of a romance with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), McLaggen was who Hermione turned to in an attempt to make Ron jealous. While his relationship with Hermione was over almost as quickly as it began, McLaggen still made appearances in the final two Harry Potter films with Stroma returning to play the part on both occasions. In addition to his work on Peacemaker, Stroma has also appeared in a few episodes of Bridgerton‘s first season as Prince Friedrich.
5 Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Granger
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ (2010)
A quick glance at the actresses’ filmography reveals that Michelle Fairley has been an active presence in the British film and television industry for decades, but it was easy for even English audiences to miss her brief appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Appearing as Hermione’s mother, her performance is limited to sitting in front of the television as Hermione makes the difficult decision to wipe her parents’ memories before committing herself to the fight against Lord Voldemort.
Fairley took over the role from Heather Bleasdale who appeared as Hermione’s mother in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The actress has since become an international star due to her performance as Catelyn Stark in Game of Thrones, as well as supporting roles in films like In the Heart of the Seaand the crime TV series Gangs of London.
4 Frank Dillane as Tom Riddle
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)
Throughout the Harry Potter films, many actors were cast to bring Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort to the screen at different stages of his life. One of the more notable actors to do so was Frank Dillane, who played a prominent part in the sixth film of the franchise, portraying a 16-year-old Riddle through a series of flashbacks that showcased the villain’s descent into evil at a young age.
Dillane, who was only 18 at the time, impressed in the role, though he didn’t work in film or television again until 2012, when he appeared in the independent film Papadopoulos & Sons. He has since risen to international stardom with his performance as Nick Clarke in AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, the spin-off series of the hit TV show The Walking Dead.
3 Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
All ‘Harry Potter’ Films (2001 – 2011)
The vast majority of the characters who appeared in all eight Harry Potter films were given their own moment in at least one of the movies to truly shine, but Alfred Enoch’s Dean Thomas is a bit of an exception to that. While Enoch was always there, he was seldom given the chance to make an impact, something which has seen the actor’s performance gradually fade from the memory of the film series’ fans, even as he continues to appear on-screen through a number of hit TV shows.
Most notably, Enoch was a major part of the captivating crime drama series How to Get Away With Murderwhere he portrayed Wes Gibbons. Outside of that, Enoch has also appeared in Apple TV’s ambitious sci-fi series Foundation, and even made a guest appearance in the hit BBC series Sherlock in the season three episode “The Sign of Three.”
How to Get Away With Murder is available to stream on Netflix.
2 Domhnall Gleeson as Bill Weasley
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ (2010)
An appearance which is more striking upon reflection since the actor’s career has taken flight, Domhnall Gleeson featured in the final two Harry Potter movies as the eldest of the Weasley children, Bill. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 takes a particular focus on the character with a major sequence early in the film taking place at his and Fleur Delacour’s wedding.
The Harry Potter role proved to be a significant launching pad for Gleeson’s career on the screen, with the actor appearing in hits like Dredd, About Time, and the celebrated anthology series Black Mirrornot long after, before embarking on blockbuster sensations like the Star Warssequel trilogy. His role in the Harry Potter films also saw him act alongside his father Brendan Gleeson who portrays Mad-Eye Moody.
1 Regé-Jean Page an Unnamed Wedding Guest
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ (2010)
With his breakout role in the hit Netflix Original series Bridgerton, Regé-Jean Page has become a significant star in his own right, even appearing in major films such as The Gray Man and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. However, long before he was a household name, he made a brief appearance as an extra in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
With the aforementioned Bill Weasley marrying Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy), many prominent figures in the wizarding world were in attendance, which made it all the more shocking when a group of Death Eaters stormed the ceremony to mount an attack on Harry Potter. Moments before the attack though, a message was relayed by Kingsley Shacklebolt (George Harris) concerning the downfall of the Ministry of Magic. Page can be seen standing just behind Hermione (Emma Watson) as she and Mrs. Weasley (Julie Walters) react to Shacklebolt’s warning.
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