Harry Potter star Harry Melling has told how he thinks it’s a “blessing” he is no longer recognised for his role in the popular film franchise.
The star who shot to fame aged 12 in 2001 as Dudley Dursley was known as the bratty cousin of Harry Potter – and was often overshadowed by his wizarding ways.
Harry, now 31, went on to play Dudley throughout the blockbusting franchise up until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2010.
After losing a considerable amount of weight during filming, he faced having his role recast for his final appearance in the franchise.
Harry has admitted that his weight loss has been a “blessing” (Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
He ended up eventually having to wear a fat suit in order to continue filming.
Speaking to People magazine about his new image, Melling said: “I think it was an unconscious thing when it started to happen,
“I went to drama school when I was 18 and that’s kind of where the weight shifted, not for any sort of major need on my side, but it’s just something that just happened.”
The actor is best known for playing Dudley Dursley (Image: Warner Bros)
He went on to say: “And I’ve done a lot since drama school, went to do lots of theatre, I think one of the blessings of that sort of stage in my life was the fact that I didn’t get recognized.
“I had this history of being part of the films, but also I felt like I had the opportunity to sort of cause a new start, which I think is useful.”
Since leaving the Harry Potter brand, he has gone on to star in the likes of The Old Guard and The Devil All the Time.
Most recently, he worked on Netflix’s The Queens Gambit and a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous The Tragedy of Macbeth which is said to be released in 2021.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
