credit: @mattdavelewis
The Queen’s Gambit is the hit no one saw coming. The 2020 miniseries was derived from the 1983 book (both share the same name), and it’s all about chess. For one, no one thought a television show about a game of chess would be so big. It’s not exactly football, a sport of excitement and constant movement. Chess is a game of the mind, and it’s exceptionally entertaining…when you’re playing. Watching? Well, unless you’re watching the massive game of chess in the dungeon at Hogwarts when young Harry, Hermione, and Ron have to get past it to get to the Sorcerer’s Stone. A live-action game of chess when the pieces are out for blood is definitely more interesting.
However, The Queen’s Gambit did what no one thought it would do. It captivated audiences, and it had a huge following. The cast loved the script. The world loved both. However, there is one rumor we need to clear up, and it has to do with Neville Longbottom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes, we are back to comparing The Queen’s Gambit to Harry Potter. The world is so curious about the fact that the actor who played Neville Longbottom at Hogwarts is also in The Queen’s Gambit. But…he’s not.
Why Does Everything Think The Actor Who Plays Neville Longbottom at Hogwarts is in The Queen’s Gambit?
Well, we aren’t sure why they all think this. Actor Matthew Lewis plays Neville Longbottom. Do you remember when he began playing the role of Neville, and he was a small kid going through what was a very noticeable awkward phase? He wasn’t the cute kid. He wasn’t the one you noticed. He was awkward and shy, and he was definitely not a handsome young man. Throughout the decade he spent filming the Potter franchise, he was just your average awkward child, preteen, and teen. And then he grew up, and he is handsome. When he made his first appearance following the Potter franchise looking like he does now, we all had to pick our jaws up off the floor.
But we are not here to discuss how hot Matthew Lewis got as he grew up. We are here to tell you he did not star in The Queen’s Gambit, but that one of his Potter costars did. Not that Lewis ever worked with Harry Melling, the young man who played the despisable Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter. Harry Melling is cousin Dudley. Uncle Vern and Aunt Petunia’s spoiled rotten, mean, nasty son – cousin to Harry. He’s the one starring in The Queen’s Gambit, and fans are confused.
Credit: @mattdavelewis
What’s With the Confusion?
We imagine that the confusion is simple. Neville Longbottom, at Hogwarts, was always the dorky kid without much going for him. He could have been The Chosen One, but he was not. Dudley Dursley was the mean, sloppy boy who treated Harry terribly, while Neville was always kind. At the end of the day, though, both grew up into handsome young men, and sometimes people can’t get Dudley and Neville straight – we call those people casual watchers (and definitely not readers). We can see how they might get this confused.
But Here’s Where the Real Confusion Comes From
While many might confuse Harry Melling with Matthew Lewis if they are casual fans who know a thing or two about Potter without knowing too much, we get it. However, we have a feeling the real reason everyone thinks Neville Longbottom is in The Queen’s Gambit is that Matthew Lewis is in the miniseries. It’s just not the Matthew Lewis of Harry Potter fame. Matthew and Russell Dennis Lewis are twins. They play chess players in this miniseries who are good friends of the main character, Beth. They are twins in real life and are also together on the show. Because they are Matthew and Russell Dennis Lewis, many people think it’s the other Matthew Lewis.
Credit: @mattdavelewis
It’s not. But it does make for a fun story. Some people are confused because of the name, and others because they know they recognize Harry Melling from the Potter series. Without double checking, they likely assume Melling is Lewis because they know the name and the face from Potter. Honestly, if you’re not a big fan of the Harry Potter franchise, we can see how you might become confused by all of it. At the end of the day, though, Matthew Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom at Hogwarts, is not Matthew Lewis in The Queen’s Gambit. But Harry Melling is in both.
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