It’s time to break the illusion: actors are not actually the characters they play. And yes, that means they might cross multiple major franchises. In the world of major pop culture movie franchises, there are very few that are bigger and more beloved than Star Wars and Harry Potter. Though one is a science fiction space opera and the other is a magical fantasy epic, there is a crossover in themes, thus drawing in a familiar demographic.

The two major IPs are massive, but one shocking fact is that they only share a handful of performers who have appeared in both worlds. The names on this list must have played a part, either big or small, physical or vocal, in both franchises. For Star Wars, the expanse includes films, spin-offs, and television series, both live-action and animated. For Harry Potter, we’re limiting it to simply the eight films and not the Fantastic Beasts films — sorry Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jessica Williams. It’s time to journey through the Wizarding World and a galaxy far, far away to celebrate 10 actors who were granted the chance to play in both worlds.

1

Warwick Davis

There might not be a more distinct individual to play in both universes than the incomparable Warwick Davis. A heavy-hitter actor in heavy-hitting franchises, the unique thing about Davis and his tenure in both worlds is that it wasn’t a one-and-done experience; the British acting legend has played multiple roles across multiple projects in both universes. It all started when he began his acting career at 11 years old, portraying Wicket W. Warrick, the brave Ewok who befriends Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), in Return of the Jedi. The character was so beloved that he was carried over into multiple other projects, including the Ewok TV series and The Rise of Skywalker. Davis became part of the Star Wars family, tacking on various roles in a handful more films, including Anakin Skywalker’s (Jake Lloyd) friend Wald and the alien Weazel in The Phantom Menace, Wollivan in The Force Awakens, Weeteef Cyubee in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, DD-BD in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Wodibin and Kedpin Shoklop in The Last Jedi. Needless to say, Davis is a go-to for Lucasfilm.

Now, in the Harry Potter Universe, Davis is most famous for portraying Professor Filius Flitwick. He had two different iterations of the Charms Master and Head of Ravenclaw House as he appeared as an elderly wizard with a long, white beard in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, while director Alfonso Cuarón gave the character a youthful, clean-shaven makeover for Prisoner of Azkaban onward. But wait, there’s more! In Sorcerer’s Stone, Davis was briefly seen as a goblin bank teller at Gringotts. In Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2, he took over the role of Griphook from Verne Troyer, though Davis had dubbed his voice as Troyer was American, and the British rule was in favor of the production. It would be unfair to call Davis a utility player, but it’s evident that the actor is more than reliable; he’s iconic.

2

Domhnall Gleeson

One of the more prominent figures to play major roles in both universes is the Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson. While we may know him as a rule-keeper as Ned Sampson on The Paper, in both franchises, Gleeson took a walk on the dark side, as a good guy and a bad guy. In the earlier part of his career, Gleeson took on the iconic role of Bill Weasley in Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2. The eldest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley (Mark Williams and Julie Walters) and older brother to Ron (Rupert Grint), Ginny (Bonnie Wright), and the rest of the Weasley siblings, Bill is a highly accomplished wizard, having served as Head Boy at Hogwarts and working as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. In the first part, Bill marries Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy), where the cremation is overrun by Death Eaters. He then becomes a protector of the Order, providing shelter for many survivors before ultimately braving the front lines against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Though the character was largely shafted in the front end of the series, he stands out as a good guy in the final chapter. As a legacy child in the film, he is also one in real life, as he is the son of Brendan Gleeson, best known as Mad-Eye Moody.

Now, to his notorious brush with the dark side as General Armitage Hux. Appearing in all three films in the sequel trilogy, Hux is a ruthless, highly ambitious, and fanatical high-ranking officer in the First Order. Hux had fierce loyalty to Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) but his bitter rivalry with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) led to a power struggle and diminished role. Jealousy and pride ultimately caused Hux to become a spy against his own regime which ultimately resulted in death. Hux was a fascinating character because Gleeson was quite committed to his highly divisive role.

3

Julian Glover

The English actor Julian Glover has had quite a prolific career on stage and screen. The classically trained performer may have an Olivier Award but his legacy comes from playing iconic villains and authority figures across major pop culture universes including Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadeand Grand Maester Pycellein Game of Thrones. But for two franchises we’re here to discuss Glover started his reign as General Maximillian Veers ,the Imperial officer who led AT – AT walker assault on Rebel base on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back . Unlike many officers under Darth Vader’s command Veers was highly competent earned Vader’s genuine respect for destroying massive shield generator protecting Rebel base paving way for Imperial victory.