Happy birthday to the lady who dreamed up Harry Potter and all of his friends, J. K. Rowling.
From beginning the series on a delayed train J. K – who celebrated her half a century milestone on July 31 – has risen to from rags to riches to become one of the most influential women in the publishing world.
The British novelist stepped into the spotlight with her very first book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and followed it up with seven other books in the series which sold more than 450 million copies worldwide.
The book’s cast such a spell kids actually got off the computer long enough to gobble down seven books and now the HP franchise has a cult following of loyal fans.
To mark J. K’s birthday let’s take a look through Dumbledor’s Pensieve and see if you can spot the young Harry Potter actors and see how they have changed.
JK hasn’t aged a day! She looks bewitching at age 50.
Miss Watson has grown up glam! Since beginning the Potter films, she has graduated from Brown University, represented several global brands in their fashion and beauty campaigns, and has helped launch a UN campaign for gender equality. Hermione would be proud.
The man, the myth. He began his acting career as Cedric Diggory, but launched into worldwide fame as Twilight’s Edward Cullen in 2008. You may not know: he also composes and plays his own music, some of which featured on the Twilight soundtrack.
Remember the bright-eyed wise-cracking protagonist Ron, Harry’s best mate? No longer 11, Rupert Grint has become one of the most widely recognized young adults. Since Potter, he has stayed mostly away from film roles, and opts for theatre shows instead, as well as the now infamous cameo in Ed Sheeran’s music vid.
Felton has moved his headquarters from Snape’s office to Youtube- now laying down tracks under the name “Feltbeats.” Tracks don’t sound quite like what you’d expect from a young Slythern however. His tracks entitled “Hawaii” and “When Angels Come” won’t buy him many Malfoy accolades.
“You’re a wizard Harry!” Hagrid echoes, and little Daniel Radcliffe marches through Platform 9 3/4 away into global popular culture. A lot has happened since then. Including even having a gay sex scene in Kill Your Darlings, riding a horse naked around a stage in Peter Shaffer’s Equus, and a rap battle on Jimmy Fallon. You know, the usual.
Young Ginny Weasley, the modest love interest of Harry himself, has jumped behind the camera recently. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in film production she directed her first film, premièring at Cannes. She now has her own production company, Bon Bon Lumiere and is working on several music videos.
Neville Longbottom has grown up over the years! From the awkward adolescence of highschool, Matthew Lewis has grown his acting career and you can catch him headlining a film this 2016. He’s gained a lot more fans since his pet toad Trevor.
The Weasley Twins are portrayed by real life twins James and Oliver Phelps. Not too dissimilar from their characters in the Potter flicks, they are often seen in at sporting events. However, now they solemnly swear that they are up to lots of good. They recently completed a charity skydive for cancer research in Australia.
