You May Not Recognize Ginny Weasley From The Harry Potter Movies Today

Even moderate "Harry Potter" fans will know who Ginny Weasley is: the youngest and only female child in the red-headed Weasley clan; younger sister to Harry's best friend Ron; eventual love interest to Harry; member of Dumbledore's Army and mini-member of the Order of the Phoenix, and Quidditch star. While she only has a bit role in the first movie, her character features much more centrally in the second film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," and is ultimately one of what author J.K. Rowling dubbed "The Big Seven" characters — the prominent students that feature throughout, per The Irish Times.

Ginny Weasley was played by Bonnie Wright, whose brother had read two of the "Harry Potter" books and said she reminded him of Ginny. She auditioned for and landed the role in the first movie, which came out in 2001, and became one of only 14 actors that appeared in all eight of the "Potter" films. By the time the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," came out in 2011, Wright was 20. She's flown under the radar since then, and these days, you might not recognize the star given how much her face has understandably changed over the years. However, she she still has her signature hair hue. She's actually living proof to support the research that says there's one hair color than can transform your life; if it weren't for her Weasley-esque looks, she never would've been a candidate for Ginny, and we certainly wouldn't recognize her now.

At the end of the final "Harry Potter" film, the main characters are adults, sending their own kids off to Hogwarts on platform 9 ¾. How did the film crew envision Ginny Weasley? Tired, apparently. She has dark circles under her eyes, and added fine lines. (She might want to read our tips for treating dark under-eye circles!) And they gave her a pouffy, unshaped lob — a medium-length hairstyle that you should always avoid because it can look shapeless and frumpy. We're happy to report that Ginny-in-real-life, Bonnie Wright, doesn't resemble what the film crew portrayed her as. And after all these years, she's hard to pick as the actor who played Ginny in any form.

Wright, who pursued acting, producing, and directing post-"Potter," spoke at a fan expo in January 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. We can see that the mother-of-one, who's now in her 30s, looked much more fresh-faced than on-screen Ginny. She still has a variation of her signature red hair color, which she wore down with a subtle natural bend in it. And that under-eye darkness? Not an issue in real life. Overall, Wright is worlds away from Hogwarts, but still looking gorgeous.