Harry Melling (actor)

Harry Melling
Born	Harry Edward Melling 13 March 1989 (1989-03-13) London, England, UK
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2001–present

Harry Edward Melling (born 13 March 1989) is an English actor best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.

He is the grandson of Patrick Troughton, who starred as the Second Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969. He is also the nephew of actors David Troughton and Michael Troughton and the first cousin of cricketer Jim Troughton and actor Sam Troughton.

Early life

Melling attended Hendon School and then Mill Hill School. He trained at the Sue Nieto Theatre School in North-West London and is currently attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where his productions include The Provoked Wife, King John, Antigone, Plenty and Sisterhood. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre.

Career

Melling appeared in five of the Harry Potter films as Harry Potter's bullying and spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley.

In 2009 he made his stage debut as "Swiss Cheese" in a revival of Mother Courage and her Children at the National Theatre, alongside Fiona Shaw who played his mother Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films. He also appears in an episode of the BBC Series Merlin, "The Sorcerer's Shadow", where he played a young warlock named Gilli, who intends to use magic to help him win Camelot's legendary tournament. He now has a part as Robert Brown in the new BBC series Just William.

On 11 October 2009, it was announced that Melling had lost so much weight since his last appearance in Harry Potter that he was now "unrecognizable", and that his role as Dudley Dursley was almost recast for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. However, he indeed reprised the role by wearing a fat suit to depict the character's weight. Melling commented positively about the change, "I can now shed the child actor thing, like the fat, and start a new career, because no one sees me as Dudley."

Filmography

Films

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001): Dudley Dursley
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002): Dudley Dursley
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004): Dudley Dursley
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): Dudley Dursley
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010): Dudley Dursley

Television

• Friends and Crocodiles (2005): Young Oliver
• Merlin, series 3, episode 11, "The Sorcerer's Shadow" (2010): Gilli
• Just William (2010): Robert
• Garrow's Law, series 3 (2011): George Pinnock

Video games

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): Dudley Dursley

Theatre

• When Did You Last See My Mother at the Trafalgar Studios (2011) : Ian
• Bedroom, Dens and Other Forms Of Magc at the Theatre 503 (2010)
• The School for Scandal at the Barbican Centre (2011) : Sir Benjamin Backbite
• Women Beware Women at the National Theatre (2010): Young Ward
• Mother Courage and her Children at the National Theatre (2009): Swiss Cheese

External links

• Harry Melling at the Internet Movie Database
• Melling at Mill Hill School
• Agency CV