Matthew Lewis

Matthew David Lewis (born 27 June 1989 ) is an English actor.

He is best known for his role as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series.

Matthew David Lewis was born on 27 June 1989 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to Adrian Lewis and Lynda Needham.

He was raised in the nearby town of Horsforth.

He has two older brothers: Chris, a film editor, and Anthony, an actor.

He was educated at St Mary's Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy.

Lewis has been acting since age five.

Born in Leeds, Lewis made his acting debut in Some Kind of Life (1995), guest-starring on dramas for ITV and BBC One before appearing in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001).

He made his professional debut in television film Some Kind of Life (1995), directed by Kay Mellor.

He guest-starred in the BBC One crime drama Dalziel and Pascoe before appearing in ITV series' Heartbeat and Where the Heart Is in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

In 1999, castings were held across the UK for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the film adaptation of British author J. K. Rowling's novel.

Lewis, a fan of the series, initially attended an open audition at the Queens Hotel, Leeds, before being contacted two months later to perform a screen test for director Chris Columbus, eventually earning the role of Neville Longbottom.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released in 2001 and became a critical and commercial hit.

For the role, Lewis wore a set of false teeth, shoes two sizes too big, a fat suit and ear prosthetics.

He reprised his role a year later in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Lewis has stated that his favorite lines stem from the film.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) both premiered to critical acclaim.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in 2007.

During filming, co-star Helena Bonham Carter accidentally ruptured Lewis' eardrum when she stuck her wand in his ear during a scene.

Lewis commented on enjoying the "diverse nature" of his role in the film which contained more "emotion and drama" than its predecessors.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince became the second-highest-grossing film of 2009.

In a 2009 interview, Lewis spoke about his experience working with director David Yates, discussing "about what Neville would be doing and feeling, even [..] in the background."

Lewis returned once more for the final Harry Potter installments, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

His performance was praised by critics for his "scene stealing potential"; CTV News referred to Lewis as a "breakout stud" and "man of action".

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling gave a speech at the premiere of Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in London, where she stated that there were seven major cast members in the series, whom she referred to as "The Big Seven" (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Bonnie Wright).

Lewis played the role for ten years, concluding with the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011), for which he received critical praise.

In April 2011, Lewis made his stage debut as Lester Cole in Agatha Christie's Verdict touring production.

Following the series, Lewis had a recurring role in The Syndicate and performed his first theatre role in Our Boys at the Duchess Theatre in 2012.

Lewis starred in The Rise (2012) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews and made appearances on BBC dramas Bluestone 42 and Death in Paradise in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

In 2012, Lewis portrayed Jamie Bradley in Kay Mellor's five-part BBC One television drama The Syndicate.

He made his West End debut, playing Mick in Our Boys, at the Duchess Theatre from September to December 2012.

Lewis co-starred in the 2012 crime film The Rise, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Express stated that "Lewis provide[s] as much pleasure as the mechanics of the twisted revenge plot."

He starred in two series of the South Africa filmed black comedy Bluestone 42, which premiered on BBC Three in 2013.

In 2015, Lewis guest-starred on the television crime drama Death in Paradise.

Lewis had a supporting role in Me Before You (2016), which became a box office success.

Lewis played Patrick, the boyfriend of Emilia Clarke's character, in Me Before You (2016), which proved to be a commercial success.

Bustle noted that "Lewis' role is one mostly of comedic relief" but the actor "plays the character's outrage perfectly"; Lewis stated he was careful not to make the role a "laughed-off villain, but a fully-formed character."

He was cast in the crime dramas Ripper Street and Happy Valley before starring on the ITV drama Girlfriends in 2018.

Lewis appeared in Terminal (2018), which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival as well as Baby Done (2020).

In 2020-2021, Lewis starred in Channel 5 television series All Creatures Great and Small to critical praise.