Harry Melling on life after Dudley Dursley

Harry Melling–the actor who plays Dudley Dursley–discussed his recent weight loss and his career in an interview with the Telegraph.

On returning to the set of Deathly Hallows after his weight loss, Melling no longer looked like Dudley.

Dudley doesn't feature in the sixth Potter film, so there was a long gap between playing the butterball bully in the fifth, aged 16, and shooting the seventh film, this year. In the meantime, he had changed almost beyond recognition, to the producers' alarm. “They did this double-take, 'Oh my God, we are going to have to do something,' and I felt very guilty. They could have recast, but instead they padded me out.”

Despite not being a lead in the movies, Melling is happy with his career.

“I can now shed the child-actor thing, like the fat, and start a new career, because no one sees me as Dudley.”