It's been over two decades since the silver screen watchers were introduced to what is arguably the most successful book and movie franchise of all time: Harry Potter. The Harry Potter film franchise, beginning in 2001 with its first movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, is based on a series of books by J.K. Rowling. The film franchise received both commercial success and critical acclaim from experts, catapulting young actors and actresses to the rank of A-list. Just as the reunion titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts took place last year, we'll look at the journey of some noticeable cast of this cultural phenomenon.

At just 12 years old when casting for the franchise's first film, Daniel Radcliffe played the lead role of Harry Potter. The young star shot to fame with his clean portrayal of Harry Potter and has since stolen fans' hearts. His performance was so outstanding that the English actor reprised his role in all eight Harry Potter movies.

When the franchise ended, Radcliffe was already 22 years old. Even though the now-32-year-old English actor put in great effort to break away from the role that defined his reputation, a lot of fans around the world were somewhat fixated on the character of Harry Potter. His engagement to the silver screen has been creditworthy, though, with noticeable roles in Horns, The Woman in Black, and Now You See Me 2. After a quiet 2020, Radcliffe will return to the silver screen with the 2022 film Lost City of D.

It wasn't easy playing the best friend of the main protagonist, but Ruper Grint nailed the job perfectly with his portrayal of Ron Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley family. The young actor's performance exuded bravery and loyalty, the signature traits of the Gryffindor. Throughout his 10-year journey with Harry Potter, his character always remained a trustworthy shoulder to cry on for his friends.

After the legendary franchise, Grint continued to star in indie films Into the White (2012), Charlie Countryman (2013), CBGB (2013), and Moonwalkers (2015). His most recent project, the critically acclaimed M. Night Shyamalan series Servant, can be watched on Apple TV+. Now 32 years old, the English actor has become a father.

Emma Watson stunned everyone with her mature performance in the franchise, even though she was only 9 years old when the first film premiered. Her portrayal of the character of Hermione was so smart that she shot to fame after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which was also her screen debut.

Despite her rising fame, Granger chose to pursue higher education after the franchise ended, graduating in 2014 with a bachelor's in English literature. Since then, she has starred in noticeable cinematic releases such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Beauty and the Beast. Now at 32 years old, she is an activist in women's empowerment, being appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations.

In the franchise, Wright was cast as Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley family. When the first film premiered in 2001, Wright was only 10 years old, making her one of the youngest stars in the film crew. Like other actors/actresses, the franchise catapulted Wright to A-list.

Similar to Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright has been devoted to social activities. Currently, she's working as an activist with Greenpeace to raise awareness of plastic pollution and solve global warming issues. Her acting career has been quite inconsiderable, with her latest role back in 2018 in A Christmas Carol.

Having appeared in some films before, Harry Potter helped bring Matthew Lewis to fame with his portrayal of the cumbersome Neville Longbottom. It's revealed that the actor was one of the earliest stars to register for the audition as he was a huge fan of the original books.

Following his success in the franchise, Lewis went on to secure some noticeable roles in Me Before You as well as The Terminal. However, what's most remarkable must be his physical transformation from a shy boy to a sexy grown-up. In 2015, the actor-turned-model covered the June issue of the Attitude magazine. His latest silver screen work is the 2020 New Zealand comedy film - Baby Done.

The eccentric Luna first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007, played by Irish actress Evanna Lynch. It's revealed that Lynch beat 15,000 competitors in the audition for the role.

After Harry Potter ended, Lynch continued acting in GBF (2013), Addiction: A 60's Love Story (2015), and My Name is Emily (2015). Like Watson and Wright, the Irish actress is a committed activist, having worked with environmental organizations like PETA and Save the Asian Elephants.

One of the most detestable characters in the series, Hogwarts bully Draco Malfoy was excellently portrayed by Tom Felton, who was only 14 years old when cast for the first film.

After Harry Potter, Felton mostly starred in low-budget dramas and thrillers, with his most recent acting credit in Save the Cinema (2022). His post-Hogwarts career includes some noticeable movies such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Netflix's A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting.

They were a 15-year-old real-life twin when cast for the first film. James and Oliver Phelps played Ron Weasley's mischievous older brothers, Fred and George. The film also marked their first acting credit.

According to Insider, the 36-year-old twin is preoccupied with their current projects, Last Night in Soho and Own Worst Enemy. They also made a famous podcast called Normal Not Normal, inviting a number of their fellow Harry Potter stars to join.

Although his performance as Hogwarts' Triwizard champions Cedric Diggory was short-lived, that was enough to mark his first acting credit. His performance earned him a lot of global fans, who were mesmerized with the actor's charm.

Pattinson has grown to become one of the most accomplished casts of the Harry Potter franchise. He became a household name with his portrayal of Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga, before securing roles in blockbusters such as The Lighthouse (2020), Tenet (2021), and The Batman (2022).

In the franchise, Gary Oldman played the role of Sirius Black, Azkaban prisoner, and Harry Potter's godfather. By the time he was cast for the role, Oldman was already a household name, with salient roles in Air Force One (1997) and Hannibal (2001).

His post-Harry Potter career proved successful, with the actor earning an Oscar for best actor for The Darkest Hour. His blockbusters portfolio also includes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017).