New Harry Potter star's little-known TV past and where you've seen them before

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

HBO has announced the next trio to take on the iconic roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for the upcoming TV series as one already has an acting past
Harry Potter fans have been introduced to the next trio taking over the iconic roles for the TV remake - and one actor has been on screens before. After months of waiting, HBO have confirmed who will be taking on Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
The three young actors are Dominic McLaughlin, who will be playing Harry Potter, while Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will be starring as Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley respectively.
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Harry Potter's executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod said in a statement that they are "delighted" to reveal new stars after an "extraordinary search", which began back in September last year.
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Based on JK Rowling's hit novels, the TV series will be a faithful adaptation of the books, according to HBO. While the trio have been dubbed as newcomers, many fans have been stunned to find out they have seen Hermione's actress before.
Following in the footsteps of Emma Watson, who landed the mega role when she was 11-years-old, Arabella has already had a taste of the small screen.
She has featured on both television and in theatre after studying at some of the country's most well respected acting schools. Arabella, who also goes by Bella, began her career at Aldance, a studio in Bracknell that offers dancing classes for children from 18 months to adulthood.
She then moved onto the prestigious British Theatre Academy and the Guildford School of Acting. In 2013, Bella landed her first role when she was cast as the star character Matilda in the West End production, Matilda The Musical.
The actress was the production's youngest cast member as she took on the six-month acting period in September 2023. She even featured on BBC's The One Show for World Book Day as Matilda.
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Bella impressed on the stage and helped to land her the part of Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2024 London revival of Starlight Express.
Acting isn't Bella's only enjoyment as she plays hockey for her local club and spends time skiing and horse riding. The young star also competes in swimming galas and triathlons and can even play the clarinet.
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Fans have also noticed Bella has a striking resemblance to Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega. The American actress was a child star in Jane The Virgin and shot to stardom thanks to her Netflix role as Wednesday Addams.
Many fans pointed out their similar looks as one said: "Arabella Stanton looks like young Jenna Ortega or is it only me??? Hermoine in HBO's #HarryPotter series."
Another added: "Arabella Stanton looks like a young Jenna Ortega." Someone else commented: "Arabella who? That's clearly a young Jenna Ortega."
When announcing the trio, Harry Potter's executive producers said: "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.
"We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.'