Harry Potter fans go wild spotting Dudley Dursley in dark new TV role
He looks so different!
Fans have expressed their shock over the weekend, after turning on the TV and seeing a grown-up Dudley Dursley on their TV screens.
Actor Harry Melling, who played the iconic character in the Harry Potter series, returned to the small screen with lead roles in two of the BBC's biggest dramas - His Dark Materials and The War Of The Worlds.
And his role in His Dark Materials really isn't that much different to Harry Potter, as the latest BBC series is based on a book series which sees two children go on an adventure where they encounter mythical creatures and enter a new, magical world.
However, The War Of The Worlds is slightly more serious as the charcters must face the terror of an invasion of England from Mars. So it's not worlds away from Voldemort turning up to 4 Privet Drive!
CHECK OUT: The Harry Potter cast – then and now
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Daniel worked hard to shake off the wizard-y typecasting that launched his career by taking on some majorly diverse, sometimes disturbing roles.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
His theatre debut was playing Alan Strang in the West End production of Equus, where, long story short, he got naked and had sexual attractions to horses.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
He shaved off all his hair (which was weird) to play white supremacist Nate Foster in 2016's Imperium but these days favours the hairy look. Perhaps a highlight of his career, he played a dead bloke in the seriously bizarre Swiss Army Man alongside seriously bizarre actor, Paul Dano.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
What a power house little Hermione Granger turned out to be (looks like all that extra homework paid off, right Herm?). After SMASHING her N.E.W.T.s – and a bachelors in English Literature from Brown University – Emma's done some great things in film and beyond.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
One of her most notable roles was Belle in the live-action remake of Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. But she's also starred in a handful of indie films like How to be a Wallflower and The Bling Ring, as well as The Circle and Little Women.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
She's an official UN Women Goodwill ambassador, an Oxford university fellow AND she's well respected in the world of fashion and couture. Girl, u slayin'.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
We loved Ron, and we love Rupert Grint. Arguably the best actor of the three of them (soz, guys) Rupert has mainly gone into TV work, appearing alongside Ed Westwick in London gangster series Snatch, the ABC murders and Sick Note, where he played attention seeking hypochondriac Daniel Glass alongside Lindsey Lohan. Rupert is also a proud dad now, welcoming his first daughter in 2020.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
MOST NOTABLE, though, was the time he was cast to play Ed Sheeran's stalker in Ed Sheeran's ACTUAL video for 2011's 'Lego House'.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
Pictured in the official 'Lego House' music video.
Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
Moving swiftly onto Nev, because even if he wasn't in your top five for the films, he's definitely a favourite for anyone with eyes these days.
Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
Matt's seriously hot now, but he's also married, which is sad. Other than cultivating excellent looks, he's also been busy doing heaps of TV work including 2016's smash hit series Happy Valley.
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
Bonnie now lives a wholesome, healthful life over in San Diego, and her Instagram bio says she makes films and talks about plastic waste a lot, which her feed seems to corroborate.
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
She's got plenty of indie credits to her name, and she's got a really cute dog. She's also been showing off some fancy camera skills taking pictures of her friends.
In 2022, Bonnie announced that she had married boyfriend Andrew Lococo and showed off the pair's gorgeous rings.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
Did you know Draco Malfoy sings? Well, you do now.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
In fact, his Instagram is full of videos of him singing and playing guitar, singing with his idols, singing on stage, even singing shirtless and singing with the Simpsons. He's been involved in lots of stateside productions too, and does a lot of American accents.
He also has a very cute dog. We wonder if his dog and Bonnie's dog are friends?
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
Evanna's moved away from acting, with her last film credit in 2015, but she's still very much in the public eye.
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
Another to have glown UP, Last year she made it to the final of Dancing with the Stars, America's answer to Strictly Come Dancing, and she's been using her platform for good as vegan activist. She hangs out with her fluffy cat Puff a lot, and plays the banjo. Cute.
Oliver and James Phelps (Fred and George Weasley)
Perhaps the biggest shocker of them all, FRED AND GEORGE AREN'T ACTUALLY GINGER. The brothers (who are actually twins, believe it or not) dyed their hair red for the duration of the films, and are actually brunette.
Oliver and James Phelps (Fred and George Weasley)
Other than living a lie, they've not done too much in the way of acting since the HP franchise wrapped – other than milk said franchise for all it's worth, having both featured as their respective twin in a range of spin off and Harry Potter-themed projects. But we can't say we blame them.
Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
Katie is still acting, having most recently appeared in psychologic thriller White Dragon (formerly called Strangers), which has just landed on Amazon Prime.
Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
She's close pals with Evanna Lynch and the two of them recently walked in the London Women's March together. She's big on family and her Instagram is overflowing with adorable snaps of friends and relatives. N'aw.
Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas)
He played a minor-ish role in HP, but Alfred Enoch has gone on to do some big things – mainly walk the red carpet and present awards at awards ceremonies, by the looks of things.
Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas)
He starred in the Netflix smash How to Get Away with Murder for four years between 2014 and 2018, but has also appeared in Broadchurch, Mount Pleasant, Sherlock and Troy: Fall of a City.
Fans couldn't contain their excitement, taking to Twitter to talk about Harry's appearance.
One fans wrote, 'Dudley Dursley is popping up everywhere tonight! #HisDarkMaterials #WarOfTheWorld', while another commented, 'Feeling like IMDB when spotting Dudley Dursley in both ‘His Dark Materials’ AND ‘The War of the Worlds’.'
A third said, 'Harry Melling (the guy who played Dudley Dursley in the HP movies) must be having a great day. He's in two prime time BBC One shows in a row this evening! First #HisDarkMaterials and now #TheWarOfTheWorlds! What are the odds.'
NOW WATCH: James Arthur Worked With Harry Potter Actor Tom Felton And Told Us All About It
For great music and incredible competitions tune into Forth 1 on 97.3, DAB, online, on the Rayo app, or say ‘Play FORTH 1’ to your Smart Speaker. You’ll find new favourites every day and hear the songs you've missed from the last few years. From Boogie In The Morning, to Garry and Steven getting you home after work, we play you the biggest hits from the world's hottest artists.