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It’s always a pleasure to see what our former pupils go on to achieve, and it has been particularly lovely to follow Harry's acting career and watch him develop his craft on screen. Now, there are two new roles to look forward to.
In a long-awaited announcement, it has been confirmed that Old Trident Harry Gilby is heading for the Wizarding World, having been cast as Charlie Weasley in HBO’s highly anticipated television adaptation of Harry Potter. With the series set to premiere on Christmas Day 2026, it promises to be an exciting new chapter in Harry’s acting career.
Charlie is the eldest of the Weasley brothers, a Gryffindor with a passion for dragons who works with these remarkable creatures in Romania. Harry joins a cast that includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. His role extends beyond the opening series Hary Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, making this an exciting opportunity to follow his character’s story as the adaptation unfolds.
“Harry is one of the most intuitive young actors I have ever worked with"
"A natural talent from the outset, but above all, a genuinely lovely young man whose dedication to Trent Drama has never wavered" Trent College Director of Drama, Donnaleigh Ward
Harry has been building his career for some time. A Trent College Drama Scholar he joined the Television Workshop, in Nottingham, at the age of 12 and soon went on to land a role in the original cast of The Full Monty debuting in the West End in 2014. He first came to wider attention with his performance in the 2017 film Just Charlie, filmed in the midst of his GCSEs, for which he received a BIFA Most Promising Newcomer nomination. Since then, his screen credits have included the cinema release of Tolkien (2019), Netflix series The Last Kingdom (2022) and film Seven Kings Must Die (2023), BBC Three’s Boarders (2024-25), and most recently the Amazon Prime series Malice (2025), starring Jack Whitehall.
"From an early breakthrough in Just Charlie to a new role in the Wizarding World, it has been a pleasure to follow Harry’s journey on screen"
Harry (centre) in Just Charlie. Photo: Laura Radford. Harry as Æthelstan in The Last Kingdom Season 5. Photo: Netflix
Trent College Director of Drama, Donnaleigh Ward, caught up with Harry as news of his casting in the Harry Potter series broke, and says: “Harry is one of the most intuitive young actors I have ever worked with. Even from an early age, his instinctive understanding of character and the maturity and detail of his acting choices were extraordinary. A natural talent from the outset, but above all, a genuinely lovely young man whose dedication to Trent Drama has never wavered. We couldn't be prouder of him.”
His latest project takes him into a very different world, of chocolate! Harry leads the cast as George Cadbury in The Cadburys, a new period drama set in 1860s Birmingham, when chocolate as we know it did not yet exist. The story follows brothers Richard and George as they take charge of their family’s failing cocoa business, combining radical ideas and ambition in a bid to transform Cadbury into one of the world’s most beloved confectioners.
“A delicious concoction of period family saga, blended with true story and a dash of Wonka-esque magic.”
Harry (left) as George Cadbury in The Cadburys. Photo: The Cadburys production/publicity | Harry (left) with fellow cast members at a promotional event for The Cadburys. Photo: The Cadburys production/publicity.
Described as “a delicious concoction of period family saga, blended with true story and a dash of Wonka-esque magic”, the series is set to launch on the free streaming service U and on BritBox in 2027. Harry has thoroughly enjoyed filming the production “it has been fun”, and we are looking forward to watching him bring George Cadbury to life.
With The Cadburys to look forward to in 2027 and Harry Potter arriving on Christmas Day, there is plenty to keep us watching. We shall certainly be tuning in to see Harry as Charlie Weasley and look forward to following the next chapter of his career.
Congratulations, Harry!
Harry Gilby, Actor
Trent College 2012 to 2017 (Class of 2019)
Drama Scholar | Years 9 - 11
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