7 Spellbinding Facts About Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Star Tom Felton

In a move so ingenious one might think Hermione Granger was behind it, Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast actor Tom Felton in none other than the role of Draco Malfoy. Felton brings his onscreen character to life onstage beginning November 11, 2025 through May 10, 2026, with Harry Potter fans everywhere bypassing Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in favor of the New York City Subway platform. Before hopping on the Hogwarts Express—or rather, the express train to Times Square—study up on the play's new star with this brief history lesson on the Hogwarts alum. Quills at the ready!

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child marks Felton's Broadway debut.
Felton has been acting since the age of eight, but the 38-year-old from Surrey, England makes his Broadway debut as Draco Malfoy at the Lyric Theatre. In May 2022, Felton made his West End debut as Sam in the supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story. The third engagement of the Olivier-nominated production ran at the Criterion Theatre through September 2022. He returned to the U.K. stage in 2024 as Robert Edwards in the world premiere of Gareth Farr's play A Child of Science at the Bristol Old Vic.

2. In 1997, Felton made his screen debut as Peagreen Clock in The Borrowers.
Before the world knew him as the sneering Slytherin, Felton's acting career began with a commercial in 1996. He beat out more than 400 other kids to score a spot in the international campaign, heading to the U.S. to film an ad for London-based insurance company Commercial Union. The next year, he landed his first movie role in the film adaptation of Mary Norton's classic children's novel The Borrowers. Jim Broadbent, who later played Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter films, portrayed Felton's father Pod Clock. Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films) also appears in The Borrowers as Jeff the exterminator.

3. Felton didn't originally audition for the role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.
When he first tried out for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Felton admits he hadn't read the books. Director "Chris [Columbus] saw straight through that, and I'm pretty sure that gave him a little internal laugh, so that could have helped," he said of his eventual casting as Malfoy in an interview shared by the official Harry Potter TikTok account. "My mom took me for the early auditions, originally for Harry and then Ron," he told Jimmy Fallon on the November 6 episode of The Tonight Show ahead of his Cursed Child debut. "And then finally they dyed my hair blonde." He also told Fallon that rehearsing for the Broadway production hasn't taken away from the magic. In fact, he said, it's "quite the opposite. One of the deals I had with the team was that I don't want to know how the magic is done. I do have to know some of it because I'm part of it, but I'm staring at it six feet away from them on the wings trying to figure out how they do so many fantastic illusions."

4. Beyond Broadway, Felton can be seen in two new movies this year.
In theaters December 5, Felton plays Archibald in Fackham Hall, a satirical film that parodies period dramas such as Downton Abbey. Set in 1930s England, the story follows charming pickpocket Eric Noone (played by Ben Radcliffe) as he gets a job at an English manor and starts an illicit romance with the lady of the house (Thomasin McKenzie). Things quickly unravel when a murder is committed and Noone is framed. He also stars as Leon in the sci-fi film Altered, out November 21, about a dystopian society ruled by genetically-enhanced elites. Felton previously appeared in films including 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, sports drama From the Rough starring Taraji P. Henson and 2012 horror movie The Apparition alongside Sebastian Stan and Ashley Greene.

5. In 2022, Felton became a New York Times best-selling author.
In October 2022, Felton published his memoir, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard. The book, which delves into his childhood and teenage years spent starring in the franchise, debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction best seller list. Felton's co-star Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) wrote the foreword, in which she refers to herself and Felton as "soulmates."

6. Outside of acting, Felton dabbles in music.
Cursed Child may be a play (though it features a stunning score by Imogen Heap), but outside of the show, Felton has pursued his passion for music. He started singing in his church choir at seven years old and was a member of four choirs throughout school. He released a single, "All I Need" in 2010, followed by "If You Could Be Anywhere" that same year. In 2021 he dropped a five-song EP, with six more singles released in 2024. Felton is one of the founders of record label Six String Productions.

7. Felton has two dogs, Willow and Forrest.
Felton is an animal lover, and while it would have been incredible if he had a pet ferret, he is a dog dad to two Labradors. Willow is a black lab who joined the family in 2018 and Forrest is a golden lab added to the crew in 2022. On social media, Felton regularly shares photos and videos of the pups, who he calls "best friends."

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