Harry Edward Melling (born 17 March 1989) is an English actor who first came to international attention for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001–2010). Since then, he has come to prominence for his well-received performances in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), The Pale Blue Eye (2022), and Pillion (2025).
Early life and education Harry Edward Melling was born on 17 March 1989 in London, England. His maternal grandfather is actor Patrick Troughton. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Career Early work and Harry Potter (1999–2016) In his early career, Melling performed in stage productions of The Provoked Wife, King John, Antigone, and Plenty. He appeared in five of the Harry Potter films as Harry Potter's spoiled cousin, Dudley Dursley. He was first cast in the role at age 10, in 1999, and played the character until 2010 and his appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In 2009, Melling starred in a revival of Mother Courage and Her Children at the Royal National Theatre. He appeared in "The Sorcerer's Shadow", an episode of the BBC television series Merlin, playing a young warlock who intends to use magic to help him win Camelot's legendary tournament. He also played Robert Brown in the BBC television series Just William. By 2009, Melling had lost so much weight since Order of the Phoenix, the fifth Harry Potter film, that he was now "unrecognisable". The role of Dudley was almost recast for Deathly Hallows – Part 1, but Melling was able to reprise the part by wearing a fatsuit. He said of 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."
In 2014, Melling made his playwriting debut at HighTide Festival with his one-man show Peddling.
Breakthrough and critical acclaim (2018–present) In 2018, Melling played a significant part alongside Liam Neeson in the Coen brothers' Western The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Of Melling's performance, The New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane wrote: "[I] came away haunted by a scattering of sights and sounds—above all, by the recitations of the limbless man, which thrum with genuine yearning. He is beautifully played, with a little help from C.G.I., by Harry Melling, who was once the odious Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films. Funny how people grow up." Melling later credited his casting in the Coen brothers film as being instrumental in future career opportunities, such as The Pale Blue Eye.From ‘Harry Potter’ to BDSM Kink in ‘Pillion,’ Harry Melling Is Building a Singular Career
Between 2020 and 2021, Melling appeared in a slew of supporting roles in successful dramas. In 2020, he played evangelical preacher Roy Laferty in the Netflix thriller The Devil All The Time. The same year, he appeared in several episodes of the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit as Harry Beltik, a chess player who becomes a friend and brief love interest of the protagonist Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Melling learned how to play chess for his part and elaborated "that’s part of the joy of acting, I think, all these new challenges you face along the way."Interview: Harry Melling on diving into Harry Beltik and the world of chess for 'The Queen’s Gambit' The series went on to become the most watched miniseries on Netflix at the time.The Queen’s Gambit’ Scores as Netflix Most-Watched Scripted Limited Series to Date The next year, Melling collaborated with Joel Coen again for The Tragedy of Macbeth.
In 2022, he had his first leading role as a young Edgar Allan Poe in the crime drama film The Pale Blue Eye, opposite Christian Bale. Elaborating on his casting of Melling, director Scott Cooper stated: "The reason I cast Harry was because of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs... I was utterly enthralled and thought that he was the only person who could play Edgar Allan Poe. It was [the way he delivered those readings,] and it was his look, as he fortunately bears a resemblance to what I imagined a young Poe to be like. He has a sense of vulnerability he isn’t afraid to express. I knew he could handle all of these long passages of dialogue that I have."The Pale Blue Eye’: Scott Cooper & Harry Melling Discuss Crafting A Mystery Worthy of Edgar Allan Poe [Interview
In 2025, he starred alongside Alexander Skarsgård in Pillion, an erotic drama film produced by Element Pictures.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Dudley Dursley 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Dudley Dursley 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Dudley Dursley 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Dudley Dursley 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Dudley Dursley 2016 The Lost City of Z William Barclay 2017 The Current War Benjamin Vale 2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Harrison Segment: "Meal Ticket" The Keeper Sergeant Smythe 2019 Waiting for the Barbarians Garrison Soldier 4 2020 The Old Guard Steven Merrick Say Your Prayers Tim The Devil All the Time Roy Laferty 2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth Malcolm 2022 Please Baby Please Arthur The Pale Blue Eye Edgar Allan Poe 2023 Shoshana Geoffrey J. Morton 2024 Harvest Charles Kent 2025 Pillion Colin 2026 Butterfly Jam Marat Bernie Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2005 Friends and Crocodiles Young Oliver Television film2010 Merlin Gilli Episode: "The Sorcerer's Shadow" Just William Robert Brown 4 episodes 2011 Garrow's Law George Pinnock 3 episodes 2013 Joe Mistry Joe Television film 2016 The Musketeers Bastien Episode: "Fool's Gold"2019 The War of the Worlds Artilleryman Miniseries, 2 episodes His Dark Materials Sysselman Episode: "Armour" 2020 The Queen's Gambit Harry Beltik Miniseries, 4 episodes 2024 Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Thomas Wriothesley
Stage Year Title Role Venue Ref. 2009 Mother Courage and her Children Swiss Cheese Royal National Theatre2010 Bedroom, Dens and Other Forms of Magic Theatre503 Women Beware Women Young Ward Royal National Theatre2011 The School for Scandal Sir Benjamin Backbite Barbican Centre When Did You Last See My Mother? Ian Trafalgar Studios 2012 I Am a Camera Christopher Isherwood Southwark Playhouse2013 Smack Family Robinson Sean Robinson Rose Theatre, Kingston The Hothouse Lamb Trafalgar Studios King Lear Fool Minerva Theatre, Chichester2014 King Lear Fool Brooklyn Academy of Music peddling Boy HighTide Festival The Angry Brigade MorrisCommanderProphetSnitchManagerJim Theatre Royal, PlymouthOxford PlayhouseWarwick Arts CentreWatford Palace Theatre2016 Hand to God Jason/Tyrone Vaudeville Theatre, London King Lear Edgar The Old Vic 2017 Jam Kane Finborough Theatre
Video game Year Title Role NotesRef. 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Dudley Dursley Voice
Accolades Year Award Category Work Result 2025 Valladolid International Film Festival Best Actor Pillion Thessaloniki Film Festival Best Actor Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor British Independent Film Awards Best Lead Performance 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival Breakout Artist
References
External links