Harry Melling may be best known for his role in the Harry Potter movies as Harry’s detestable cousin Dudley Dursley, but since the last of those films in 2010, he’s proven himself to be a much more complex actor with a staggering amount of range in movies and on TV. As a beloved book series before the movies came out, nearly everyone had an idea of what each character would look like and how they would act. When Harry Melling appeared on-screen as Dudley Dursley to torment Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), it was immediately apparent he was the perfect fit.
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For nearly 10 years, audiences watched Melling grow up, as they did most of the kids who appeared in the Harry Potter series. While he did a very admirable job in the role, it was unclear what Melling’s career would look like after the magical series. He clearly had talent, but few people would have guessed just how impressive a career he would end up having in both television and movies. There’s an argument to be made that he’s been the most successful of all the child cast post-Harry Potter, with even his smaller roles showcasing his capabilities.
10 Just William (2010)
Robert Brown (2010, 4 Episodes)
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Just William is a one-season BBC One series that was broadcast in 2010 for four episodes. The show is an adaptation of the book series of the same name by Richmal Crompton and is the first adaptation of the stories since the 1990s. The show follows William Brown (Daniel Roche), a trouble-making and perpetually angry little boy who gets into trouble around his neighborhood. William’s older brother, Robert, is played by Harry Melling.
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William looks up to Robert and also bothers him as much as possible. While it’s not a major role and the show only went for four episodes, it was one of the first post-Harry Potter roles that Melling took on and was a far cry from the thuggish brute most audiences knew him as. This part opened the door for viewers to see the actor as more than just Dudley, Harry’s cousin.
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9 The Devil All The Time (2020)
Roy Laferty
The Devil All The Time RDramaThriller
The Devil All The Time is a thriller set in the 1950s and 1960s in rural Ohio. It follows several interconnected storylines that involve corrupt law enforcement, religious fanaticism, and serial killers. The ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan, Riley Keough, and Harry Melling,
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*Availability in US Director Antonio Campos Release Date September 16, 2020 Cast Bill Skarsgard , Jason Clarke , Tom Holland , Riley Keough , Sebastian Stan , Robert Pattinson Runtime 138 minutes Budget $35miilion
In The Devil All the Time, a Southern Gothic psychological thriller based on a book by Donald Ray Pollock, several stories and characters in small towns in Ohio and West Virginia are woven together. Set between the end of WWII and the 1960s, an ensemble cast of desperate characters from all walks of life unknowingly come into contact with one another. Harry Melling plays Roy Laferty, an odd and charismatic preacher who loses his mind after a venomous spider bites him.
Donald Ray Pollock also serves as the movie’s narrator.
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It’s a harrowing and intense film, with an incredible performance from Melling, who may only appear in one of the storylines but leaves a lasting impression with his commitment to the bizarreness of the character. It’s unnerving to watch, his performance growing even more frightening as the spider’s venom begins to take hold and warp his reality.
8 The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Harrison
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9/10 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs RWestern
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western anthology film by the Coen Brothers that comprises six distinct stories. Each vignette explores themes of the American frontier, blending humor and tragedy. With a richly detailed setting, the film delves into various aspects of frontier life, showcasing a range of characters from singing cowboys to intrepid prospectors. The distinctive narrative style and evocative cinematography create a compelling portrait of the Old West.
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*Availability in US Director Joel Coen , Ethan Coen Release Date November 9, 2018 Cast Tim Blake Nelson , Willie Watson , Clancy Brown , Danny McCarthy , David Krumholtz , Liam Neeson , Harry Melling , Ralph Ineson , Thomas Wingate , Tim DeZarn , E.E. Bell , Alejandro Patiño , Tom Proctor , Clinton Roberts , Matthew Willig , Jesse Youngblood , J.J. Dashnaw , Stephen Root , Mike Watson , Brian Brown , ryan brown , Richard Bucher , Jesse Luken , Michael Cullen , Austin Rising , James Augare , Brendan Gleeson Runtime 133 Minutes Budget $30 million Expand
Each of the six stories in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is worthwhile and, together, they make one of the more underrated movies in the Coen brothers’ filmography. In the third story of the film, “Meal Ticket”, an aging, destitute, and weary impresario (Liam Neeson) carts around Harrison (Harry Melling), a quadruple amputee who performs Shakespeare for Western towns. The measly money they earn barely keeps them both fed, they seem to have an oddly symbiotic relationship, though not necessarily a friendly one.
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It is a mesmerizing and dark tale, and Melling is sadly pitiful as he is carted around by someone who is more or less his owner. Then, when it’s time to take the stage and recite Shakespeare, Melling gets to show his dramatic acting chops, making the movie audience as engaged as the gathered townsfolk come to see the spectacle.
7 The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Edgar Allan Poe
The Pale Blue Eye RCrimeHorrorMystery
Based on the novel by Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye is a horror/mystery film starring Christian Bale and Harry Melling as Augustus Landor and Edgar Allan Poe. A former detective, Augustus, is brought in by the U.S. Military to investigate a potential murder at the West Point Military Academy in New York. Aided by a young military cadet, Poe, Augustus stumbles upon grizzly details and even more murders that will drag the two into an increasingly dangerous situation.
Director Scott Cooper Release Date January 6, 2023 Writers Scott Cooper Cast Christian Bale , Harry Melling , Gillian Anderson , Lucy Boynton , Charlotte Gainsbourg , Toby Jones , Harry Lawtey , Simon McBurney Runtime 128 minutes Budget $72 million Expand
The Pale Blue Eye is a criminally underseen Gothic mystery thriller that follows a veteran detective in 1830, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), who is called out of retirement by the military to solve the case of a murdered cadet. To help him solve the case, he secretly asks for help from another young cadet, Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling). Poe and Landor encounter more murders as they investigate a black magic cult that could be more closely linked to them than they realize.
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He’s intelligent, clever, a bit charming, and also very heroic, despite not being a particularly active character.
It’s a much different part for Melling than any of his previous roles, turning him into a character approaching Sherlock Holmes in temperament. He’s intelligent, clever, a bit charming, and also very heroic, despite not being a particularly active character. Despite the tone of The Pale Blue Eye, Melling is having a lot of fun in the part of the semi-action thriller lead.
6 The Old Guard (2020)
Steven Merrick
The Old Guard RFantasyAction
Based on the comic book of the same name by Greg Rucka, The Old Gaurd stars Charlize Theron as Andromache of Scythia, a centuries-old immortal woman who, along with a group of fellow immortals, works as a mercenary using her vast knowledge from her long life in order to protect people. When a new immortal is revealed to exist, the team must work to protect her and evade capture by a pharmaceutical executive who wishes to discover what causes the immortals’ miraculous healing powers.
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*Availability in US Director Gina Prince-Bythewood Release Date July 10, 2020 Cast Chiwetel Ejiofor , Luca Marinelli , Charlize Theron , Micheal Ward , Van Veronica Ngo , Marwan Kenzari , Natacha Karam , Kiki Layne , Matthias Schoenaerts , Mette Towley , Harry Melling , Anamaria Marinca , Joey Ansah Runtime 124 minutes Budget $70 million Expand
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The Netflix film The Old Guard, based on the comic book of the same name by the film’s screenwriter Greg Rucka, follows a team of immortal mercenaries and is one of the best action movies of 2020. Led by Andromache ‘Andy’ of Scythia (Charlize Theron), the team has spent millennia fighting as warriors for hire, working to help the underprivileged. Steven Merrick (Harry Melling) is a pharmaceutical CEO looking to use their regenerative properties for his business.
Far from being an altruistic scientist, Merrick is more interested in keeping other companies from discovering the immortal mercenaries and looks forward to torturing them forever for his own benefit. Melling is sadistic and frightening in the role, and it’s one of his most villainous performances. Though he’s been cruel in past performances, he’s never been so menacing, and he plays his evilness with subtlety, making it feel all the more real.
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5 The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)
Malcolm
The Tragedy of Macbeth RThrillerDramaHistory
Joel Coen presents The Tragedy of Macbeth, a film based on the classic play written by William Shakespeare, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. The film retells the story of Macbeth, which entails ambitious goals that result in a usurpers plot and murder that shakes the kingdom to its core.
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*Availability in US Director Joel Coen Release Date December 25, 2021 Cast Frances McDormand , Harry Melling , Corey Hawkins , Bertie Carvel , Brendan Gleeson , Moses Ingram , Alex Hassell , Denzel Washington , Kathryn Hunter Runtime 105 minutes Budget $200,000
The Tragedy of Macbeth by Joel Coen, the first Coen film that only has one brother involved, is an adaptation of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. All the main characters of Macbeth are here: Macbeth (Denzel Washington), Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand), Banquo (Bertie Carvel), Macduff (Corey Hawkins), King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson), and Malcolm (Harry Melling). Malcolm, the son of King Duncan, is named the prince of Cumberland, setting Macbeth on the path to ruin.
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In this version of the story, Malcolm is not quite the patriotic, trustworthy king that he’s portrayed as in the play. This version paints Malcolm as a petulant child, who believes he’s owed the throne. He does not care about the people he is set to rule over, making his conflict of a different flavor than the one in other adaptations of the play. Melling can perform Coen dialogue as well as any young actor, and the Coens seem to be forming a relationship with the young actor between this and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
4 Shoshana (2023)
Geoffrey J. Morton
Shoshana ThrillerDrama
Shoshana is a 2023 political thriller set in 1930s Tel Aviv during the British Mandate, focusing on British police officers Thomas Wilkin and Geoffrey Morton as they pursue poet and Zionist activist Avraham Stern, who is planning to expel British authorities.
Director Michael Winterbottom Release Date September 8, 2023 Cast Harry Melling , Douglas Booth , Irina Starshenbaum , Gina Bramhill , Matthew T. Reynolds , Tim Daish , Aliosha Massine , Samuel Kay , Aaron Vodovoz , Tim Wallers , Lee Comley Runtime 119 minutes
Shoshana, a British biographical film set in 1930s/1940s British Mandatory Palestine, follows the tragic love story between Shoshana Borochov (Irina Starshenbaum) and the British police officer Tom Wilkin (Douglas Booth). Based on a true story, Borochov was the daughter of Ber Borochov, one of the founders of socialist Zionism. A very relevant film for the time period, Shoshana is a compelling and deep look at the Zionist movement of the 1930s.
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Harry Melling plays Geoffrey J. Morton, a police officer in the region tasked with hunting for the Zionist militant, Avraham Stern (Aury Alby). This semi-fictionalized version of Morton is a dead-eyed, vicious officer who delights in torturing and murder, using his position of power as leverage. It’s a frightening and bold performance by Melling and the character seems all too possible in today’s world.
3 Please Baby Please (2022)
Arthur/Bijou 52 Ticket Taker
Please Baby Please is another example of Harry smelling being interested in taking on roles outside the comfort zones of most actors. In the 2022 musical drama, Melling plays Arthur, also known as Bijou 52 ticket taker. Arthur is newly married to Suze (Andrea Riseborough), and when the pair stumble upon a gang of greasers, they become the fascination of the violent group. At the same time, Arthur becomes entranced by the gang’s leader, Teddy (Karl Glusman).
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It’s a complicated and rich story that requires a steady hand to take on the role of Arthur, a task Melling is more than up for.
It’s a complicated and rich story that requires a steady hand to take on the role of Arthur, a task Melling is more than up for. A campy musical, Please Baby Please is gorgeously filmed and the three lead performers are all excellent. Melling is particularly mesmerizing as a neurotic and self-loathing married man who finds release in the gay BDSM scene in Manhattan.
2 Harry Potter Franchise (2001-2010)
Dudley Dursley
Harry Potter 10/10
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Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students’ time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
Created by J.K. Rowling First Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Matthew Lewis , Bonnie Wright , Evanna Lynch , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Harris , Ralph Fiennes , Helena Bonham Carter , Alfred Enoch , Harry Melling , Gary Oldman , Robert Pattinson , Warwick Davis , Oliver Phelps , James Phelps , David Bradley , David Thewlis , Katie Leung , Jason Isaacs , Imelda Staunton , David Tennant , Jamie Campbell Bower , Timothy Spall , Robbie Coltrane , Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Katherine Waterston , Ezra Miller , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Johnny Depp , Mads Mikkelsen Expand $88 at AmazonSee at TargetSee at Walmart
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At the moment, Dudley Dursley is still what most viewers will recognize Harry Melling for, but he’s doing an impressive job shedding that childhood role. He almost seems like a completely different person at this point. That’s not to say Melling’s performance as Dudley in Harry Potter is bad, it’s actually great. Melling handles the petulance and snobbery of Dudley perfectly, making it obvious why Harry can’t wait to get away from 4 Privet Drive.
Melling is robbed of one of his best scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, however. This deleted scene taken from the book sees Dudley telling Harry, “I don’t think you’re a waste of space,” and smiling as he shakes his once-hated cousin’s hand. It’s a tearjerking and sweet moment and the heightened emotions are almost all due to Melling, who shows exactly why he would soon go on to such an impressive career.
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1 The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Harry Beltik (4 Episodes, 2020)
The Queen’s Gambit SportDrama
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series drama The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age story that explores the actual cost of genius. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s, a young Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) discovers an astonishing talent for chess. Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and obsession, Beth transforms into an impressively skilled and glamorous outcast, determined to conquer the traditional boundaries established in the male-dominated world of competitive chess.
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*Availability in US Cast Anya Taylor-Joy , Moses Ingram , Marcin Dorocinski , Akemnji Ndifornyen , Jacob Fortune-Lloyd , Rebecca Root , Christiane Seidel , Harry Melling , Patrick Kennedy , Bill Camp , Isla Johnston , Thomas Brodie-Sangster , Chloe Pirrie , Marielle Heller Release Date October 23, 2020 Seasons 1 Showrunner Scott Frank Expand
The Queen’s Gambit is likely the first time viewers sat up on their sofas and said, “Is that Dudley?” For most casual viewers, Harry Melling’s role in The Queen’s Gambit as Harry Beltik was the first time they saw him in a non-Harry Potter role. The series also shot Anya Taylor-Joy to mainstream fame, meaning the show won’t be forgotten about for a while. Beltik is the state champion chess player who loses to Elizabeth (Taylor-Joy), only to become one of her biggest supporters.
It’s maybe Melling’s most complete character. He is uptight and full of himself at the beginning of the series, but slowly thaws as he experiences Elizabeth’s true skills. He’s charming and sweet as he tries to court Elizabeth, and appropriately distraught when he realizes he can never have her. The show doesn’t work nearly as well without Harry Melling, and he makes sure to take advantage of every moment of screen time.
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