Bel Powley: Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter HBO Series

Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley

Official: HarryPotter.com’s current cast list names Powley as Petunia Dursley, alongside Daniel Rigby as Vernon and Amos Kitson as Dudley. The official further-casting announcement also confirms the role. Visit our Dursley family guide for the household’s place in Harry’s first book.

Our rereading suggestion: begin with what a household considers ordinary. The way an adult reacts to a strange event can tell a reader as much as the event itself. Watch for differences between what Harry is told and what he is able to observe. That distinction keeps attention on the story’s point of view as well as its magical discoveries.

Film work: The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Official: distributor Sony Pictures Classics identifies Powley as Minnie Goetze in The Diary of a Teenage Girl. Its film page describes the coming-of-age story and identifies the source novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. For readers choosing earlier work, the distributor’s description is a useful introduction to the subject and audience.

Official: BAFTA’s 2016 red-carpet interview identifies Powley as an EE Rising Star nominee. That is a nomination, and it should not be described as winning the award. The interview connects her public recognition at the ceremony with discussion of The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

Our viewing suggestion: approach an earlier film through its own subject, rather than treating it as a preview of an unrelated television role. A central performance allows you to follow changes across a full story. Notice how an actor’s understanding of a scene seems to change as another person speaks, and how a close shot differs from an exchange shared in a wider frame.

Television work: The Morning Show

Official: Apple’s publicity for The Morning Show includes Powley among the cast. Its UK service page supplies the programme description and current viewing route. The series offers another format in which to explore her work, with an ensemble and a continuing workplace setting.

Our viewing question: what happens when a character’s personal response has to fit around a professional role? A workplace scene often asks people to hide one feeling while performing another. Pay attention to the small changes between a public conversation and a more private exchange, and to what the other actors make visible through their responses.

Following an ensemble can also be enjoyable without racing through it. Try watching a scene for the first time simply as a story, then revisit it to see how each participant changes its direction. That keeps a performance connected to the production that contains it, rather than isolating a few seconds as proof of a particular acting quality.

Awards and earlier work in the UK

Official service checked on 17 October 2026: Apple TV’s UK page for The Morning Show provides the current service route. Confirm subscription terms on the live service page. This check did not establish a UK streaming destination for The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

When choosing for a household, read the production’s age classification and content guidance. A performer’s Harry Potter role does not establish that an earlier film or drama is intended for young readers. For some families, the more useful next step will be the character guide and the published novel rather than a viewing recommendation.

Our Petunia reading exercise is to compare two moments involving an unexpected visitor or message. Ask how the household tries to keep control of the situation and what Harry learns from that response. It is an accessible way to discuss tension without needing to decide in advance how a television scene should be staged.

Next reads: the Dursleys, Harry Potter and the television series guide.

Looking at a first impression

Our comparison exercise: describe the opening household from Harry’s point of view, then imagine how an adult visitor might describe the same room. Which details would each notice first? The question can help a reading group see how a viewpoint guides sympathy without requiring everyone to agree about a character. It also offers a clear point of comparison when you later watch a scene shaped by performance, framing and the reactions of people sharing the room.

Sources

• Official — Current cast.
• Official — Further casting.
• Official — Sony Pictures Classics: The Diary of a Teenage Girl.
• Official — BAFTA: Bel Powley interview.
• Official — Apple: The Morning Show cast.
• Official — Apple TV UK: The Morning Show.