While the The best movies that Harry Potter cast have made since the series ended are proof that they had talent to spare, but not all of their ambitious projects have paid off in the 13 years since 2011.

Radcliffe has used his considerable star power to elevate numerous ambitious, offbeat projects. The star appeared in the critically acclaimed Swiss Army Man, Horns, Kill You Darlings, and The Woman in Black, as well as cropping up in mainstream blockbusters like Playmobil: The Movie and The Lost City. Grint, meanwhile, has played smaller roles in TV shows like Servant and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, as well as appearing in 2023’s Knock at the Cabin. However, one actor from the series stands out as its biggest breakout star thanks to numerous blockbuster hits and some critically adored movies.

Emma Watson's Little Women Is The Best Movie Any Member Of Harry Potter's Young Cast Has Been In Since The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Greta Gerwig’s Period Drama Is A Well-Cast Adaptation

When it comes to blending big-budget blockbusters and more interesting indie projects, Emma Watson’s career is the most illustrious one to come from the young cast of the Harry Potter movies. Emma Watson’s best movies prove the actor has a diverse taste in roles, from the satirical real-life dramedy The Bling Ring to the coming-of-age drama The Perks of Being A Wallflower, to director Darren Aronofsky’s divisive biblical epic Noah. Although 2017’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake is her biggest financial success, 2019’s Little Women is Emma Watson’s best movie since the Harry Potter series ended.

​​​​​​​

An ensemble cast including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, and Timothee Chalamet ensures that the adaptation isn’t short of star power.

The starry 2019 adaptation may not be as successful as the 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, but that is a high bar for any movie to clear. Gerwig brings warmth, humor, and verve to Little Women, and an ensemble cast including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, James Norton, and Bob Odenkirk ensures that the adaptation isn’t short of star power. Little Women is one of Saoirse Ronan’s best movies, but Watson’s role as Meg is also central to the adaptation's success. Mercifully, Gerwig doesn’t shortchange any of the novel’s heroines.

Emma Watson Remains The Biggest Breakout Star From The Harry Potter Movies

Watson’s Post-Potter Blockbuster Career Outdid Her Those of Her Co-stars

While Grint laid low for a few years and Radcliffe sought out stranger projects, Emma Watson became the biggest breakout star of the Harry Potter movies by a considerable margin. Although many of Radcliffe’s riskier roles won him critical acclaim, few of his post-Harry Potter movies even came close to Beauty and the Beast’s $1.2 billion box office. Similarly, Watson’s cameo role in This Is The End proved that she still had a sense of humor, something Radcliffe’s best roles accentuated. By balancing serious dramas like Little Women with bigger blockbuster fare, Emma Watson became the breakout star of the Harry Potter movies.