Matthew Lewis is an English actor best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series. Born in Leeds in 1989, Lewis began acting as a child and made his feature-film debut in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Over the following decade, he appeared in all eight Harry Potter films, with his character developing from a shy Hogwarts student into an important figure in the final chapters of the story. After Harry Potter, Lewis expanded his film career with projects including The Rise, The Sweet Shop, Me Before You, Terminal, and Baby Done. His later work has shown his range across romantic drama, crime thriller, dark comedy and comedy-drama, while his 2026 appearance in Touché marked another feature-film role.
2001 — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Matthew Lewis made his feature-film debut as Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, released in 2001 and directed by Chris Columbus. The fantasy adventure introduced audiences to Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley as they began their first year at Hogwarts, with Lewis playing the nervous but good-hearted Neville. Although Neville initially appears as a secondary character, Lewis established many of the qualities that would become important to the character later in the series. The film became a major worldwide success and launched Lewis into one of cinema’s most recognizable fantasy franchises.
2002 — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Lewis returned as Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second Harry Potter film, directed again by Chris Columbus. The fantasy adventure follows Harry and his friends as Hogwarts is threatened by a mysterious chamber and a series of attacks on students. Neville remains a supporting presence, but Lewis continued to develop the character’s timid personality and loyalty to his friends. The film was released in November 2002 and strengthened Lewis’s place in the long-running series.
2004 — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
In 2004, Lewis appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third instalment in the fantasy franchise. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the film introduced a darker atmosphere as Harry learned more about Sirius Black and the events surrounding his parents. Lewis again played Neville, whose role remained relatively small but helped establish him as part of Harry’s close circle at Hogwarts. The film was particularly notable for its more mature tone and visual style compared with the first two entries.
2005 — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Lewis continued as Neville in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, released in 2005 and directed by Mike Newell. The fantasy adventure centres on the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, which brings Harry into competition with students from other wizarding schools. Neville has a supporting role, but the film gives Lewis another opportunity to portray the character as he gradually becomes more confident. The fourth movie also marked a significant shift toward the darker conflicts that would dominate the later Harry Potter films.
2007 — Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lewis returned as Neville Longbottom for the fifth Harry Potter film. Directed by David Yates, the fantasy drama follows Harry’s growing resistance to the Ministry of Magic and the formation of Dumbledore’s Army. Neville becomes more involved in the students’ fight against dark forces, giving Lewis a larger opportunity to show the character’s courage beneath his nervous exterior. The film was released in 2007 and was an important step in Neville’s development within the series.
2009 — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Lewis reprised his role as Neville in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released in 2009 and directed by David Yates. The story follows Harry’s discovery of important information about Lord Voldemort while tensions at Hogwarts continue to rise. Neville has a smaller role in this chapter, but Lewis remained part of the ensemble as the young wizards prepared for the final confrontation with Voldemort. The film continued the increasingly serious tone of the franchise and led directly into the two-part finale.
2010 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
In 2010, Lewis appeared as Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Directed by David Yates, the fantasy adventure follows Harry, Ron and Hermione after they leave Hogwarts to search for Horcruxes while Voldemort’s influence spreads across the wizarding world. Neville’s role is more limited in the first part because much of the story takes place away from Hogwarts, but his continued resistance becomes an important part of the larger narrative. The film was the first half of the adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel.
2011 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Lewis’s most significant Harry Potter performance came in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, released in 2011 and again directed by David Yates. The fantasy adventure brings the story to its climactic Battle of Hogwarts, where Neville finally emerges as one of the series’ brave and determined young heroes. Lewis’s performance was especially notable because Neville’s transformation from an insecure student into a courageous fighter becomes one of the film’s memorable character arcs. The movie concluded the main Harry Potter film series and remains one of the defining entries in Lewis’s career.
2012 — The Rise
Lewis moved into a very different type of role with The Rise, a British crime thriller directed by Rowan Athale. The film, also released under the North American title Wasteland, stars Luke Treadaway, Iwan Rheon and Timothy Spall and centres on a group of friends planning revenge against a gangster. Lewis plays Dodd, a loyal member of the group who is physically imposing but not necessarily the sharpest of the friends. The film was an important post-Harry Potter step for Lewis because it allowed him to leave the fantasy world behind and take on a tougher, contemporary character.
Non-feature appearance: Lewis also provided the voice of Nigel in the 2012 short film The Night of the Loving Dead. It is a short-film credit rather than a standard feature-film role and is therefore not counted among his main feature films.
2013 — The Sweet Shop
The Sweet Shop was released in 2013 after being filmed several years earlier, with Ben Myers directing the romantic drama. The film follows rock musician Jarvis Marshall as he returns to his childhood village following the death of his estranged mother and reconnects with people from his past. Lewis plays a reporter, appearing alongside Gemma Atkinson and other members of the ensemble cast. Running for roughly 94 minutes, the film was a genuine feature production and was screened at film festivals before becoming available for on-demand viewing.
2016 — Me Before You
Lewis appeared as Patrick in Me Before You, Thea Sharrock’s 2016 romantic drama based on Jojo Moyes’ bestselling novel. The film stars Emilia Clarke as Lou Clark and Sam Claflin as Will Traynor, with Lewis playing Lou’s long-term boyfriend, a fitness-focused character whose relationship with her becomes increasingly strained. While Patrick is a supporting role, it represented a clear move away from Lewis’s Harry Potter image and into contemporary adult drama. The film was released widely in June 2016 and became one of Lewis’s most visible post-Potter movie roles.
Non-feature appearance: Lewis also appeared in the 2016 short film Juliet Remembered as Toby. This short is separate from his feature-film work and is not counted as a standard feature in the main chronology.
2018 — Terminal
In 2018, Lewis took a role in Terminal, a neo-noir crime thriller written and directed by Vaughn Stein. The film stars Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons and Mike Myers, with Lewis playing Lenny. Its story follows several seemingly disconnected characters, including assassins, a mysterious waitress and a teacher, whose lives become intertwined through a violent revenge plot. The dark, stylized thriller gave Lewis another opportunity to work outside the family-friendly fantasy genre associated with his early career.
2020 — Baby Done
Lewis starred opposite Rose Matafeo in Baby Done, a New Zealand comedy directed by Curtis Vowell. He plays Tim, an expectant father whose excitement about becoming a parent contrasts with Zoe’s determination to complete her adventurous bucket list before the baby arrives. The comedy explores relationships, adulthood and the anxiety surrounding impending parenthood, while giving Lewis a lighter role than many of his previous post-Potter performances. The film premiered in New Zealand in October 2020 and was subsequently released in other markets, including the UK.
2026 — Touché
Lewis returned to feature films with Touché, a British comedy-drama released in the UK in May 2026. Directed by Parvinder Shergill and Leif Johnson, the film follows Deep, a British South Asian woman who takes up fencing and becomes involved with fellow club members Kate and Tom. Lewis plays Tom, who develops an unexpected friendship with Deep while hiding a personal secret. The 118-minute film combines comedy and drama with themes of identity, belonging and personal change, making it one of Lewis’s latest feature-film appearances.
Matthew Lewis Movies by Year: Conclusion
Matthew Lewis’s movie career began with one of the biggest fantasy franchises in modern cinema and gradually expanded into a diverse collection of independent and mainstream projects. His eight appearances as Neville Longbottom established him internationally, while films such as The Rise, The Sweet Shop, Me Before You, Terminal and Baby Done demonstrated his willingness to explore different genres and characters. His role in Touché further extends that post-Harry Potter film career with a contemporary British comedy-drama. Looking across Matthew Lewis movies by year, his filmography shows a steady transition from child actor to an established performer with a varied screen career.
