Tom Felton

Thomas Andrew Felton is an English actor and musician, most famously known for his portrayal of the character Draco Malfoy in all eight film adaptations of the Harry Potter series. His performance as the arrogant Slytherin pure-blood wizard became iconic, making him one of the most recognizable figures from the film franchise.

Born on 22 September 1987 in Epsom, Surrey, England, Tom Felton began his acting career at a young age. Before being cast in the Harry Potter series, he was already an experienced child actor with several notable roles.

• Early Career: Felton appeared in commercials before making his feature film debut as Peagreen Clock in The Borrowers (1997). He later co-starred as Louis T. Leonowens in Anna and the King (1999), alongside Jodie Foster.
• Post-Potter Career: After the conclusion of the Harry Potter films, Felton continued his acting career in a variety of roles. Notable appearances include the character Dodge Landon in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and a main role as Julian Albert in the third season of the television series The Flash (film).
• Music and Writing: Felton is also a keen musician, having released several EPs of his original music. In 2022, he published a memoir titled Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, which detailed his experiences during and after his time filming the Harry Potter series.

Felton's role as Draco Malfoy was a defining part of his career and a significant element of the films' success.

• Casting: Felton famously auditioned for the roles of both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. The director, Chris Columbus, ultimately felt he was perfect for the part of their antagonist, Draco Malfoy (film). Felton has admitted he had not read the books before being cast.
• Portrayal: To embody the character as described in the books, Felton had to dye his naturally light-brown hair platinum blond for over a decade. His portrayal was widely praised for capturing Malfoy's sneering arrogance, underlying insecurity, and eventual turmoil. J.K. Rowling has commented that Felton's performance brought a level of complexity and even sympathy to the character that occasionally concerned her, as she worried about young fans romanticizing Malfoy (J.K. Rowling interview).
• On-Set Relationships: In stark contrast to the enmity between their characters, Felton formed strong, lasting friendships with his castmates, particularly Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). Emma Watson has famously stated that Felton was her first childhood crush during the filming of the early movies (interview).

• Felton's maternal grandfather, Nigel Anstey, a respected British geophysicist, had a non-speaking cameo as a Hogwarts professor in the Great Hall scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film).
• Felton often shares an anecdote about the late Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape. During the filming of a scene for the first movie, Rickman sternly told the young Felton not to step on his long cloak, a moment Felton remembers as being genuinely intimidating but a valuable lesson in professionalism (interview).
• Despite his character's allegiance, Felton was sorted into Gryffindor when he took the official Sorting Hat quiz on the Pottermore website (Pottermore).