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​Everyone Missed 'Harry Potter' Dudley Dursley Star In 'His Dark Materials’

Lauren Bell

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​Everyone Missed 'Harry Potter' Dudley Dursley Star In 'His Dark Materials’

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros

Viewers were left scrambling to the IMDB site on Sunday night after a vaguely familiar face that cropped up in His Dark Materials left them baffled. And it turns out, the person they couldn't quite put their finger on was Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter.

Harry Melling who played the spoiled and bratty teen in the much-loved J.K Rowling franchise, this time stepped into the part of Sysselmann in the BBC drama based on Philip Pullman's Book of Dust trilogy.

But despite his huge fame from the Harry Potter movies, viewers were left scratching their heads on Sunday 24th November thanks to Melling's dramatic change in appearance.

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This is of course partly due to the fact that during the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Melling would have been just eleven-years-old. He is now 30!

Harry Melling appeared as Sysselman in 'His Dark Materials' (Credit: BBC
Harry Melling appeared as Sysselman in 'His Dark Materials' (Credit: BBC

The last movie he appeared in as part of the Harry Potter series was Deathly Hallows Part One where he would have been 21, but he had already changed so dramatically in that time that Melling had to wear a fat suit to reprise his role - he was, in fact, almost recast.

And now, slimmed down and even older, he was even more difficult for viewers to spot.

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One Twitter user said: ""I recognise that guy, off to IMDB."

"[one IMDB search later] MOTHERFU**NG DUDLEY DURSLEY #HisDarkMaterials [sic]," they added.

Fans were shocked to see 'Dudley' turn up in H'His Dark Materials' (Credit: Twitter)
Fans were shocked to see 'Dudley' turn up in H'His Dark Materials' (Credit: Twitter)

Another wrote: "Am I going crazy or is that Dudley Dursley in His Dark Materials?!"

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What was even more shocking for BBC viewers was that not only did he show up in His Dark Materials, he was also seen in War of the Worlds on Sunday night.

One tweet read: "Wow Dudley Dursley (idk the actor's name sorry) is in #HisDarkMaterials AND #WarOfTheWorlds. He is winning tonight!"

And hilariously, one was even questioning whether Dudley was getting his comeuppance in both shows, after the way he treated Harry Potter.

The Twitter user commented: "It's really a bit distracting that Dudley Dursley has just been maimed by Iorek in #HisDarkMaterials and now he's being chased down by aliens in #waroftheworlds Is this payback for all that bullying of Harry he did back in the day?"

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It seems Melling, who played irritating Dudley, was cast in an equally as annoying character for the His Dark Materials drama, playing snivelling Sysselmann as an important Trollesund citizen.

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During the 58 minute instalment he went head on with Lee Scoresby (Lin Manuel Miranda) because he had made great white bear Iorek Byrnison a slave metalworker and he and Lyra wanted him free to help them on their quest.

Harry also plays a soldier in anothe BBC Sunday night drama: War of the Worlds (Credit: BBC)
Harry also plays a soldier in anothe BBC Sunday night drama: War of the Worlds (Credit: BBC)

Sysselman had also taken Iorek's armour and hidden it, but when Lyra (Dafne Keen) informs Iorek where his armour is being hidden, he goes on the rampage.

Sysselmann ends up with his gun knocked from his hand and left fearing his life. Luckily for him, he is not killed, thanks to Lyra and Scoresby persuading Iorek not to finish him off.

And as for War of the Worlds, Melling played a soldier who was being hunted by aliens. Not a great night all in all for Dudley, then.

His Dark Materials continues on Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.

Topics: Harry Potter, TV and Film, TV Entertainment, His Dark Materials

Lauren Bell
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