HARRY POTTER
Everything I have read and heard about casting this series has said that casting Harry was the hardest job. No surprise there -- his name is famous around the whole world. In fact, the role almost went to Tom Felton (Harry) because he had more acting experience than the other actors they had found. By chance, however, Daniel Radcliffe was spotted at a theater with one of the men heading up the Harry Potter film industry and thought he would be perfect for the role. And, after a screen test (the scene with the dragon hatching), Dan was hired.
Dan had a difficult job ahead of him. After all, at that point, Harry Potter had become the most well-known wizard in the entire world. With that in mind, I feel like Dan exceeded expectations. He took on the role bravely and quickly became recognized as the perfect Harry. It started with the looks -- Dan had been made up to look exactly like the book cover, even if he didn't have Harry's trademark green eyes. (He did wear green contacts in the first scene of Sorcerer's Stone -- leaving Hogwarts, but they irritated his eyes. Eventually, they went back in and used computers to edit his eye color to his blue). Then, with his acting ability. The first film was iffy of course because it was the first film, but by the second and third movie, Harry really began to shine through as Dan became more familiar with the role and Harry's personality and attitude became deeper so Dan had more to go on.
I was really starting to get impressed with him at very end of Goblet of Fire. Seeing the deep-seated pain, grief, and devastation Harry felt once he came back with Cedric's body, I was completely convinced that Dan was perfect for this role. And he continued to grow stronger, especially as Harry grew up and started dealing with real problems in the world, withstanding Cedric's death, everyone thinking he was a liar, Umbridge's torture, Snape's occlumency lessons, Sirius' death, and Dumbledore's death until he finally became strong enough to become the Chosen One and defeat Voldemort once and for all by sacrificing himself out of the love of his friends. As Harry grew strong enough to take this role, Dan grew as well. By the fifth movie through the end, Dan had finally captured the essence of Harry by becoming the boy wizard he played in the movies.
So, really, all these events had to happen to prepare Harry to kill Voldemort as well as to prepare Dan for letting Rowling's words to shine through him so Harry could do what he needed to.
RON WEASLEY
There is not a lot to say about Rupert and Ron.
Unlike Daniel Radcliffe, I was immediately won over by Rupert's performance as Ron Weasley at first glance. He just looked the part. Seriously, Rowling could have been looking at a picture of Rupert when she created and designed Ron Weasley. He had the red hair, the long nose,and, by adding the tattered clothing and wand -- Rupert literally was Ron and he continued to be so throughout the remainder of the film series.
While Ron didn't go through near as many changes as Harry because generally, he was a fairly happy, go-lucky guy. In Deathly Hallows, however, Ron had a whole other side of him that even he didn't know existed at all. Sure he was jealous in Goblet of Fire, but he got over that fairly quickly. In Deathly Hallows, Ron is filled with not only jealousy, but anger, frustration, and bitterness. Thus, Rupert had to learn how to extend Ron's character into places he hadn't been before. Furthermore, Rupert needed the strength to leave Harry and Hermione, but even more power to rejoin them and destroy the horcrux in Slythern's Locket. Up to that point, Ron had inklings of jealousy, self-doubt, anger, frustration at being known only as Bill/Charlie/Percy/Fred/George's little brother or as Harry's best friend rather than being a person himself. All that culminated to the point that Ron couldn't take it anymore in Deathly Hallows. Rupert guided us brilliantly through that process Ron went through quite brilliantly.
He was wonderful.
HERMIONE
GRANGER
Hermione is another character I don't believe changed much.
Throughout the entirety of the series, Hermione remained the logical, highly efficient and dedicated student she always was. This makes Emma's job easier, however, there are a few moments when her usual cool and cam demeanor breaks down. In Prisoner of Azkaban, she leaves Divination never to return as well as punches Draco in the face. In Goblet of Fire, she allows herself to be a bit girly and excited to have a date to the Yule Ball. In Half-Blood Prince, she starts falling for Ron and finds it difficult to be herself when she sees Lavender kissing "her man." Furthermore, Harry begins to beat Hermione in Potions due to the Half-Blood Prince's book, causing her to lose her cool; this is clearly indicated by her ever expanding hair. Finally, in Deathly Hallows, she is challenged to see things in a new way such as believing in stories that aren't true (eg. The Tale of Three Brothers).
All in all, Emma is brilliant. Some might say this is because Emma was Hermione-like before being cast, so it was easy for her. Others may say that even though Emma was slightly Hermione-ish in person, she still had a challenging role to play, especially since Emma begins to become emotional at times as she grows up. Either way, however, Emma encompasses everything that is Hermione and, therefore, performs the role amazingly.
GINNY
WEASLEY
It's a bit difficult to see the changes in Ginny because she does not have near as much screen time as the golden trio does, but she does grow up quite a bit. When we first see her, she's just a little girl wishing Harry luck as he makes his way to Platform 9 3/4 for the first time. Then, in Chamber of Secrets, we see her as an innocent, young girl with a crush and a dangerous diary. As the series progresses, however, she becomes much more powerful (Rowling even writes that her brothers were scared of her in Order of the Phoenix) and spunkier.
Clearly, Ginny is not someone to be trifled with. And neither is Bonnie Wright, who brings just enough spunk and strength to allow the only Weasley daughter to come to life.
NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM
Neville has grown up so very much. It's astounding. He has gone from the fearful, chubby, clumsy little boy who always lost his frog and could never remember the password to killing Nagini and helping to end Voldemort. Also, before Harry goes to meet his death in the forest, he leaves everything to Neville. In the movie, even as he's going to seek the diadem, he pats Neville on the shoulder telling him to hold the fort down. Harry trusts Neville, but also sees that he has grown up to be a leader capable of doing this task.
While Rowling gets the credit for writing Neville to be that way, credit must also be given to Matthew Lewis as well. He is the bravest of the actor in my opinion because he is constantly getting hurt. He breaks his arm after losing control of his brook in Sorcerer's Stone. In that same book, Neville is also victim to the petrificus totalis curse. Lewis tried to do this, but a stunt person was hired instead because Lewish couldn't get the fall right. Then, in Chamber of Secrets, he is attacked by Cornish Pixies and hung from the ceiling. Throughout the remainder of the series, Neville is constantly the victim of circumstances beyond his control.
In Deathly Hallows, however, Neville has finally grown up to be a much stronger person than anyone could have ever thought he would be. With Harry gone, Neville becomes the new leader to rally people to fight against Snape and the Carrows. An amazing transformation. Even more impressive is that he doesn't go after Bellatrix Lestrange. In Order of the Phoenix, he was determined to avenge his parents by killing Lestrange. This need to kill Lestrange, however, goes out of his mind by the time the Battle at Hogwarts comes about. He sees and understands that there are more important things than killing the woman who tortured his parents into insanity such as protecting his friends and leading Dumbledore's Army against the Death Eaters in the final battle.
Matthew Lewis is wonderful, especially because he really shows the growth and changes Neville went through. The best part is seeing Lewis at the end of Deathly Hallows strong, powerful, and capable of leading Dumbledore's Army and assisting in killing Voldemort by beheading Nagini, the final horcrux. The audience sees this change, but other characters do as well. Why else would Harry have left Neville in charge as he went to face Voldemort and die.
DRACO
MALFOY
Tom Felton. What can we say about him?
For one thing, he had never read the books before auditioning, so he copied other potentials' answers. They saw through him, of course, but Felton believes that his lack of knowledge and willingness to lie won him the role in the end.
Draco, and therefore Felton, do not get a lot of screen time because the plot generally centers around the golden trio and friends in Gryffindor (and a friend in Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood), and Draco only gets to interact with them by being a bully.
His character, however, gets deepened and stretched by the start of the Half-Blood Prince. He has been tasked with killing Dumbledore, but deep inside of himself, he knows that he is incapable of completing his mission, thus he starts to live in fear. Tom's performance here truly gets amazing. He may not have a lot of lines, but you can see the pain, fear, and trauma on his face. It's superb. Not many actors could do that. The same goes on in Deathly Hallows. He sees Charity Burbage's death; he is locked in his mansion under house-arrest; he lies about recognizing Harry through the stinging hex; he has an opportunity to kill Harry in the Room of Requirement, but doesn't; and he leaves with his family, turning his back on Voldemort and the other Death Eaters. Most of this is done strictly through his face, so Felton really has to kick up his performance to communicate emotions without words.
And he did so wonderfully.
Personally, I believe Felton is the strongest of these young actors/actresses for that reason alone. Not everyone can bring a powerful, mesmerizing, convincing performance by only using his facial expressions and body language.
Brilliant.
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