Bonnie Wright is known all over the world as the girl who played Ginny Weasley, Ron’s little sister and as we all know, later on, Harry’s bae. Her character’s transformation and role in the whole universe developed and changed over the years and it’s actually pretty interesting how that lines up with how Bonnie’s life changed thanks to the Harry Potter films and since then.
It all started out when she was very little and already a fan of the books. She and her brother loved Harry Potter and were probably dreaming of getting a letter from Hogwarts in the mail when they heard that the films about to be made. It was actually Bonnie’s brother who suggested she should audition for the role of Ginny and somehow she managed to get it, even though she had no connections to the world of cinema prior.
Ginny only appears in one scene in the first Harry Potter movie but Bonnie was happy to do it if it meant she gets to be in Harry Potter. By the second movie her role became way more important and substantial, after all, Ginny’s the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets. With each year Bonnie spent more and more time on set as her role became more integral to the story. She kind of grew up with Harry Potter and the gang, she spent 10 years on that job and while it was always thrilling it wasn’t always easy. Bonnie has recalled in interviews that there were days when she didn’t feel good but she couldn’t take a day off because the sets cost millions of pounds per day, so rain or shine she had to go and act.
Nevertheless, she remembers those years fondly. She was part of something huge and unique, something millions of kids all over the world dreamt of, something that touched and shaped a whole generation. She also realised that everyone working on those movies loved what they were doing and were true professionals at the top of their game, so that’s something she always kept in mind and tried to learn from them as much as possible about the world of movie-making.
In fact, she kept wanting to learn more about movies so once she was done with the world of Harry Potter she went to study film at the London College of Communication. Many would think that being on the set of such a big production would be education enough but Bonnie wanted to learn more about the process of making movies and learn from every angle, not just from the actor’s perspective. Plus it was her dream to go to art school and she got to go to one of the best ones in London.
Having worked on Harry Potter for a decade Bonnie wanted to have some time off and step out of the limelight for a bit, but that didn’t mean that she stopped working altogether. She’s been in multiple movies since – The Sea, After the Dark, Before I Sleep are just a few films she’s been in. She also did a play called The Moment of Truth.
In 2012 Bonnie started her own production company called BonBonLumiere which has already done quite a few short films and music videos. She will also occasionally do commercials just because once in a while you don’t want to be the one making all the decisions and it’s easier to just do what is asked of you. Bonnie’s directorial debut was a drama short called Separate We Come, Separate We Go, and she found that she really likes directing so she’s planning to a feature film in the near future.
What else has happened in Bonnie’s life since Harry Potter? She has worked with multiple charity organizations to provide for people in need, she is passionate about the environment and particularly is trying to find ways to take care of the ocean and stop the pollution. She’s even working on a unique film idea that will bring people’s attention to this subject. She says it’s going to be a horror film that will really make you think about what we as people do to our planet and the ocean in particular.
Bonnie has also moved to LA, but unlike most celebs, she didn’t do it for work opportunities, let’s be real, she’s a Harry Potter star, she’s set for life. She moved there to have more space, she just needed a change of scenery to see how it would impact her and she feels like so far it’s working out well. Bonnie has mentioned in interviews that she feels like she’s getting more stuff done and the nice weather helps too.
We can’t wait to see what else is in store for Bonnie in the future, after all, she’s only 28 and she’s a driven young woman. We know she’s gonna do great things.