Harry Potter stars who shed their child star image with racy roles as Harry Melling shocks fans with graphic sex scenes in X-rated gay romance film
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The stars of Harry Potter grew up in the public eye as they embarked on a 10-year journey to bring JK Rowling's seminal work to screen.
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were among the bumper cast of unknown child stars who became instant household names, having all been under 13 when they landed the roles.
Yet while the stars of the eight-part film series developed into adults during filming, the public struggled to see them as anything other than students of Hogwarts.
So the Harry Potter cast took matters into their own hands and shed their child star image by taking on very racy roles that ensured they would never be seen as children again.
The latest star to take on an X-rated role is Harry Melling, 36, famed for his role as Dudley Dursley, whose gay romcom Pillion hit cinemas last week.
Now Daily Mail reveals all the stars of the beloved magical franchise that decided to bare Hogwarts and all in a bid to move on from the wizarding world.
Harry Melling
A look at the Harry Potter stars who shed their child star image with racy roles as Harry Melling - who played Dudley Dursley (pictured) shocks fans with graphic sex scenes in new film
Now Harry is taking on his most daring role to date with Pillion, where he plays Colin, a timid gay man who enters into a BDSM relationship with enigmatic biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgård)
Three years ago, while promoting his gothic thriller, The Pale Blue Eye, Harry expressed his desire to separate himself from the world of Harry Potter.
He mused: 'You have to move on and get on with your life and and pursue the things that interest you... hopefully the Potter thing will slowly fade away.'
Now Harry is taking on his most daring role to date with Pillion, where he plays Colin, a timid gay man who enters into a BDSM relationship with enigmatic biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgård).
The movie received an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes, but director Harry Lighton admitted that the version screened at the iconic film festival had been edited down significantly due to its graphic sex scenes.
'It was purely because I didn’t want to push the audience into feeling they were being deliberately shocked by an image,' he explained to Variety.
'So for example, there was one close up of a d**k, a hard d**k … like down the barrel of the lens. And after watching the film on that "f**k-off" screen I thought, yeah, cutting it was probably the right decision!'
Alexander chimed in: 'There’s definitely a raunchier version of this movie … what you’ve seen is the family friendly version… there’s also the Alexander Skarsgard cut.'
Lighton went on to admit that Pillion may need to undergo even more edits to ensure that it can get a US release.
The racy role is worlds away from any of Harry's former roles.
Harry - who has lost approximately 70lbs since starring in the movies - has had roles in black comedy The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs and Netflix hit, The Queen's Gambit.
Daniel Radcliffe
As the lead role in the eponymous Harry Potter series, it seemed inevitable that Daniel Radcliffe would be typecast going forward
That is, until he made the decision to strip naked for his first project post-Potter – going full frontal in his debut theatre role with Equus
As the lead role in the eponymous Harry Potter series, it seemed inevitable that Daniel Radcliffe would be typecast going forward.
That is, until he made the decision to strip naked for his first project post-Potter – going full frontal in his debut theatre role with Equus.
It was a decision that sent shockwaves through the film-watching world, notably because Daniel was just 17 at the time.
He was naked for approximately 10 minutes in the show, where he played a troubled young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses.
Reflecting on the stint, Daniel previously told the Daily Mail: 'Ten minutes is a hell of a long time – and I was out there at the centre of the stage.
‘When you take your clothes off – whoever you are – there is very little acting going on. You are standing on a stage thinking, “Oh my God, I’m naked. They are all looking at my bits.” They are in the audience thinking: “Oh my God he’s naked. Look at his bits.”
'There are mobile phones up in the air but you are trying not to notice. It’s the weirdest thing because you are absolutely dreading it, yet you are doing it voluntarily and then you have to do it again and again and again...’
Daniel continued to strip off for his subsequent roles, explaining: 'I think getting naked on a stage gets rid of all your inhibitions.
‘I also decided to start going to the gym, so the whole thing about hating how you look doesn’t become an issue.
'There’s nothing like doing a nude scene to put yourself under pressure. But honestly, it might look like I do but I don’t go round insisting that nudity clauses have to be put in my contract – I just happen to be getting it out a lot at the moment.’
Daniel also admitted that stripping off made people look at him in a completely different way, severing his ties to the Potter world.
‘I don’t know if I actually connected those thoughts,' he mused. 'But I wanted to make choices that would surprise people and I wanted to be good.’
Rupert Grint
Like Daniel, Rupert Grint also found himself taking on a bold new role away from Ron Weasley when he signed up for 2009 drama, Cherrybomb
He starred as Malachy in the movie, a teenager who goes on a wild ride of sex, drugs, vandalism, shoplifting, and fighting to win the affections of Michelle (Kimberley Nixon)
Like Daniel, Rupert Grint also found himself taking on a bold new role away from Ron Weasley when he signed up for 2009 drama, Cherrybomb.
He starred as Malachy in the movie, a teenager who enters into a competition with best friend Luke (Robert Sheehan) to outdo each other on a wild ride of sex, drugs, vandalism, shoplifting, and fighting to win the affections of love interest Michelle (Kimberley Nixon).
While he didn't go full frontal for the film, Rupert did strip shirtless for a rather graphic sex scene with co-star Kimberley.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the time, Rupert mused: 'It was always going to be quite tricky.
'Harry Potter’s a big thing really, so I’ve always known it’s going to be pretty hard.
'But doing this film wasn’t really a conscious decision to try something different — it just worked out like that. I got the script, really liked and it all happened in a couple of weeks.'
Emma Watson
After playing goody two shoes Hermione Granger for 11 years, Emma Watson decided to make a departure with her acting roles by signing up for The Bling Ring
It's her most unrecognisable role date, where she played pot-smoking underage drinking Nikki in the drama, promotion for the movie highlighted a 'sexy, racy and wild' side to the actress
After playing goody two shoes Hermione Granger for 11 years, Emma Watson decided to make a departure with her acting roles by signing up for The Bling Ring.
It's her most unrecognisable role date, where she played pot-smoking underage drinking Nikki in the drama, which was based on the true events of teenagers in LA who burgled from the homes of Hollywood A-listers.
While the role didn't require her to strip off, promotion for the movie highlighted a 'sexy, racy and wild' side to the actress.
Her part was based on Alexis Neiers, and in a 2013 interview with GQ, Emma said that the character went against her principles.
She shared: 'The character [of Nicki] is everything that I felt strongly against – she’s superficial, materialistic, vain and amoral.
'She’s all of these things and I realised I hated her. How do you play someone you hate?
'But I found it really interesting and it gave me a whole new insight into what my job or my role as an actress could be.'
That same year she appeared in a cameo role as a more exaggerated version of herself alongside Seth Rogan and James Franco, in post apocalyptic film This Is The End where she famously used a four letter swearword.
Emma didn't push herself too far out of her comfort zone, however, with Seth revealing that she refused to film a scene alongside Channing Tatum when he was wearing a leather-thonged gimp suit.
Seth said there were no hard feelings though, stating: 'I mean, I don't look back on that and think, "How dare she do that?" You know?
'I think sometimes when you read something, when it comes to life it doesn’t seem to be what you thought it was. But it was not some terrible ending to our relationship.
'She came back the next day to say goodbye. She helped promote the film. No hard feelings and I couldn't be happier with how the film turned out in the end... She was probably right. It was probably funnier the way we ended up doing it.'
Matthew Lewis
While Matthew Lewis was known for playing the nerdy Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter, he revealed that underneath his Gryffindor cloak he was hiding a ripped six-pack
In 2015 he sent fans when he stripped off for a racy photoshoot with Attitude magazine, having transformed his physique to play a triathlete in Me Before You (pictured on ITV's Girlfriends)
While Matthew Lewis was known for playing the nerdy Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter, he revealed that underneath his Gryffindor cloak he was hiding a ripped six-pack.
In 2015 he sent fans when he stripped off for a racy photoshoot with Attitude magazine, having transformed his physique to play a triathlete in Me Before You.
Even JK Rowling got in on the action as she made a light-hearted dig at Matthew's shoot, which saw him lounge around shirtless in snug Armani briefs.
She tweeted: '@Mattdavelewis Not as bad as watching Dan in Equus, but close. Warn me next time, for God's sake.'
An equally horrified Matthew replied, with a downcast emoticon: 'Well, this is awkward. Sorry, Jo…'
JK, in a very maternal manner, replied: '@Mattdavelewis I will always support you whatever you want to do, Matthew. Now go put some clothes on.'
In later tweets, JK revealed that she basically couldn't bring herself to even look at the images properly.
Actor Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the film franchise, decided to add fuel to the fire and tweeted the author, making a pun on Lewis' onscreen name.
He offered: 'Surely Neville Pertbottom now?'
JK swiftly responded: '@jasonsfolly @Mattdavelewis I wouldn't know. I hastily averted my eyes and read an article on Political Correctness to get over the shock.'
Robert Pattinson
After bursting into the limelight with his role as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise, Robert went on to film a racy sex scene in 2008's Little Ashes
Speaking in 2019, he discussed a theme that runs through his recent work, revealing: 'I keep masturbating. In the last three or four movies, I've got a masturbation scene'
After bursting into the limelight with his role as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise, Robert went on to film a racy sex scene in 2008's Little Ashes in which he played surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.
The film chronicled a passionate love affair between the Spanish artist and poet Ferdico García Lorca (played by Javier Beltrán) and included a very raunchy love scene between the pair in a swimming pool.
He told Interview magazine: 'The Dali production was the worst, it was mortifying.
'We were all hanging out by the pool, trying to loosen up. I was nervously clinging to the edge - and before I could turn around, the Spaniard was already naked.
'He happily swam towards me and I didn't have a clue how to react. I felt like Mr. Bean.'
Robert went on to land the lead role in the teen romance films Twilight, before stripping off for Bel Ami, Cosmopolis, and High Life.
Speaking in 2019, he discussed a theme that runs through his recent work, revealing: 'I keep masturbating. In the last three or four movies, I've got a masturbation scene.
'I did it in High Life. I did it in Damsel. And The Devil All The Time. I only realized when I did it the fourth time. But when I saw the clay figure of the mermaid [in The Lighthouse], if you're getting turned on by that, you're in a very strange place in your life.'
Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Hero Fiennes Tiffin stole the show with his portrayal of a young Tom Riddle in the film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
10 years later, he stole scenes for a different reason as he appeared in the racy film series, After where he shot steamy scenes with Australian actress Josephine Langford
Hero Fiennes Tiffin stole the show with his portrayal of a young Tom Riddle in the film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
10 years later, he stole scenes for a different reason as he appeared in the racy film series, After.
The films required him to shoot steamy scenes with Australian actress Josephine Langford, and speaking to Daily Mail Australia, he said the pair 'were both very comfortable' with the intimate moments.
'It’s actually a lot closer to a step-by-step routine than an actual sex scene,' he confessed. 'It’s so unsexy and like not sexual at all.
'Before we even started shooting we did rehearsals where we could choreograph those scenes and they were so much more like a dance or a fight scene than what you're actually pretending to act.'
Jamie Campbell Bower
Another Harry Potter alum who didn't feel uncomfortable filming racy scenes was Jamie Campbell Bower who played young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
He filmed love scenes with Joely Richardson - who is 23 years his senior. The pair starred together in period drama Anonymous, in which he played the young Edward de Vere
Another Harry Potter alum who didn't feel uncomfortable filming racy scenes was Jamie Campbell Bower.
The actor went from starring as young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 to filming love scenes with Joely Richardson - who is 23 years his senior.
The pair starred together in period drama Anonymous, in which he played the young Edward de Vere, who has an affair with Queen Elizabeth I (Joely).
Speaking about the raunchy moment, he told The Irish Independent: 'They were fine. Very comfortable.
'You always have to be comfortable with the person you're doing those scenes with and Joely's a very fun lady. It was great.'
However, the scenes weren't as comfortable for Joely - who later revealed Jamie was a friend of her daughter's.
‘It is literally the strangest thing,’ she said, reflecting on X-rated scenes in movies during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine.
She added: ‘I did this film called Anonymous, where my first day, I had to be with a young fellow in the story. He’d gone to my daughters school! Could it get any more awkward?!’
Although Joely didn’t name names, Jamie went to Bedales School at the same time as her daughter Daisy Bevan.
