6 Harry Potter stars who have lived in Norfolk

Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter films, at Nor-Con, the TV, film and comic convention at the Norfolk Showground. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

1. Chris Rankin - Percy Weasley

Before he was cast in the Weasley clan as Ron’s older brother, Chris attended Northgate High School in Dereham, where he discovered his love of acting after starring in school plays such as Bugsy Malone, and he went on to attend Dereham Sixth Form College and he also worked at the UCI Cinema at Norwich Riverside, which is now an Odeon.

He was given the role of Percy in 2000 and after finishing his work on the franchise he quit acting and went to the University of Lincoln in 2011 to study media production and he now works in the industry.

Sir John Hurt at the opening of the NUA East Gallery. Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

2. Sir John Hurt - Garrick Ollivander

John Hurt played the eccentric owner of Ollivanders wand shop in Diagon Alley and in later life he moved near Cromer, where he sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer aged 77 in 2017.

John, who won the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the 2012 Baftas, was also the chancellor of Norwich University of the Arts and patron of Cinema City.

Harry Potter star Rohan Gotobed studied at UEA from 2016 to 2019 Picture: Rohan Gotobed (Image: Archant)

3. Rohan Gotobed - Young Sirus Black

Rohan, who grew up in Poole in Dorset, came to Norwich in 2016 and swapped Hogwarts for halls to study for an English Literature and Drama degree at UEA where he also founded a theatre company with his fellow students.

Rohan played the young Sirus in the flashback in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and graduated in 2019.

Martin Ballantyne has starred in movies such as The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass Picture: Steve Adams

4. Martin Ballantyne - Scary Face and Mundungus Fletcher’s Associate

Martin lives in Norwich and was a Scary Face in Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Mundungus Fletcher’s associate in Part 2.

The actor, who also played one the Joker’s henchman in The Dark Knight starring the late Heath Ledger, was set to appear at the 2020 Great Yarmouth Comic-Con, which has sadly had to be cancelled due to coronavirus.

Poppy Miller played Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Credit: Steve Adams

Norfolk stars who appeared in the stage show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child...

5. Poppy Miller - Ginny Weasley

There is another member of the Weasley family that lives in Norfolk but this time from the West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, set 19 years after the events in the Deathly Hallows and based on an original story by J.K Rowling.

Norfolk actor Sam Clemmett who starred in the West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Albus Potter. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

Poppy, aged 51, is a former Hewett School pupil and she previously appeared in shows at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich.

6. Sam Clemmett - Albus Potter

Also in the original 2017 West End cast is Sam Clemmett, from Brundall, who attended Thorpe St Andrew School and is an alumnus of the Norwich Theatre Royal arts courses.

Poppy and Sam both reprised their role on Broadway at New York’s Lyric Theatre in 2018.