Draco Malfoy may have been born with silver hair in a filthy rich family, but even the wealthiest pure-bloods need to stack some galleons in the Muggle world. So, even though the Malfoy family had a mansion and gold stacked at Gringotts, Draco is still having to hustle for Broadway coins.
Yup, Tom Felton is reprising his iconic role as the snarky Slytherin prince in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And guess what? Fans are just losing their minds. But while he’s still printing dollars from his Harry Potter appearances, let’s break down how much our favorite blonde bully earned across all 8 Harry Potter films, especially when he had a total of 31 minutes of screen time.
Tom Felton and his 31 minutes of screen time as the Hogwarts bully
Draco Malfoy was never just a background Slytherin with great cheekbones and expensive robes—he was the antagonist we all loved to hate. With his signature sneer, platinum blond hair, and lines like “my father will hear about this,” Draco became one of the most iconic characters in the Wizarding World.
But here’s the kicker—Tom Felton only had 31 minutes of screen time across all eight Harry Potter movies, to establish his character as the ultimate Hogwarts bully. That’s right—his entire screen time across the entire Harry Potter franchise was equal to an episode of FRIENDS. And somehow, we still remember him like he was in every scene.
Perhaps, we remember Felton’s Draco (despite his minimal screen time), because he was more than just a schoolyard bully, who called Hermione a ‘mudblood’ and got punched in the face. This Slytherin snob was an emotionally complex character who turned out to be deeply insecure and utterly spoiled.
Remember when he whined about Hippogriffs, bragged about his expensive broomstick, or strutted around like he owned the Slytherin dungeon? Classic Draco energy. But despite being the rich kid with major trust-fund-baby vibes, Felton brought depth to the role—enough that even his few moments on screen made a lasting impact.
From that dramatic bathroom duel with Harry in Half-Blood Prince to his silent hesitation to identify Harry in Deathly Hallows Part 1, Tom Felton just raised the bar. Therefore, even with just 31 minutes, his character became a cornerstone of the franchise. In fact, Draco was one of the villains in the series who actually had a character development moment that added layers to the good vs. evil theme.
He wasn’t merely a flat character like Voldemort, who was just evil for the sake of being evil. Draco was a scared kid raised with bad ideas, and Tom Felton just nailed it. So, yes—he might have barely made the screen, but the actor made every second count.
How much did Tom Felton earn from his Harry Potter films?
Now here’s where the magic really hits—Tom Felton made an eye-watering £14 million (that’s about $18 million) from the Harry Potter movies—for just 31 minutes of screen time (via LadBible). Imagine getting paid that much just to flick your hair, throw some insults, and dramatically walk away. Now we know why Draco was always bragging.
Felton earned £451,613 per minute, which stands at $612,689 for donning that platinum blonde hair and saying ‘Potter’ like a curse word. Fight us if you like, but Felton turned his character into a brand, both on and off screen. While other Hogwarts students were off battling Death Eaters or studying for their O.W.L.s, Draco was busy earning galleons worth of Muggle money.
And let’s just put it in context that Felton was just 13 when he was cast in The Philosopher’s Stone. Imagine a teenager earning millions of bucks; it was just a living dream. The actor was filming on magical sets, walking red carpets, and cashing in those wizard paychecks. And unlike Emma Watson, Felton had no plan for saving his millions.
According to Express, the actor thus confessed how he spent most of his Harry Potter income on “rubbish” teenage stuff like skateboards, clothes, and fancy BMWs. Sounds like something Draco would do with his father’s money. Only in reality, our sassy blonde villain got fancy clothes and a matching car for mum, all with his own paychecks.
I bought a lot of rubbish things that kids buy: skateboards and clothes and typical teenage stuff. And, as soon as I could, I wasted a lot of money on cars – BMWs mostly – for myself and my family.
My mum told me: ‘You have worked hard for it so get what you want, but beware, you will lose money on cars’. And she was right.
But thankfully, Felton received a “scary” wake-up call when he was handed a massive tax bill and debt collectors arrived at his house to seize his possessions. Thankfully, after spending 18 months working with an accountant to sort out his finances, the actor managed to put his problems behind him. Unlike his on-screen Harry Potter character, Felton managed to resolve his problems all by himself.
Tom Felton became the first Harry Potter actor to join the Cursed Child Broadway play
Fast forward to 2025, Tom Felton’s ability to fix his own problems helped him mature in reality, and perhaps that’s what led him to take on the role of a dad. No, Felton did not become a father, but Draco did.
So, the actor is back as Draco Malfoy, but this time he’s rocking a Broadway stage instead of dueling in Hogwarts. Yup, Felton became the first actor from the original Harry Potter films to join Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. Only this time, he’s gonna play an older, sassier, and more emotionally evolved version, who now has a kid of his own at Hogwarts.
Confirming his appearance as the former school bully in the Tony Award-winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, Felton called it a “pinch-me” moment during his exclusive chat on TODAY. Fourteen years after bidding adieu to the Wizarding World, he’s donning the blond wig again and stepping into the shoes of adult Draco. So naturally, it was pretty emotional for him.
It’s very much a pinch-me situation. I keep thinking I’m dreaming. I let go of that character 16 years ago, and now I get to step back into his shoes, as a father this time, in a new story. ‘Potter’ was a massive chunk of my childhood, and now I get to sort of go back whilst also going forward.
The play is such an independent story from the ‘Potter’ films that I grew up with. We start 19 years later … now we’re no longer children. We actually are the parents. So as much as it is reprising an old role for me, it’s very much treading into new, unfamiliar territory. I know him quite well as a kid. I don’t know him that well as an adult. So that’s the exciting challenge ahead for me.
It’s very, very easy to get emotional. When they put my blond wig on for the theater production, I just immediately cried. It was just sort of like a blast from the past. … It was something that I never thought I’d see again.
Starting November 11, 2025, Felton will perform for 19 weeks at NYC’s Lyric Theatre. The presale tickets will begin on June 10 at 11 a.m. ET, and the tickets will go on sale to the general public on June 12 at 11 a.m. ET. As for the play, the storyline picks up 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco now sending their own kids to the magical school.
Additionally, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history, having sold more than 10 million tickets worldwide since its premiere in London in 2016. And now, Felton replaces the current Draco performer, Aaron Bartz, to have his full-circle moment.
Tom Felton teased his appearance as an extra cast member in the HBO show
Well, if you thought the Broadway play was enough to satisfy Tom Felton, then you couldn’t be more wrong. Much like every other Potterhead, who can’t get enough of J.K. Rowling‘s magical Wizarding World, even Felton is unwilling to miss any opportunity that can take him back to where it all started for him.
So, now that HBO is coming up with their highly anticipated Harry Potter reboot series, Felton has hinted that he might secretly sneak into it, as an extra. And while Warner Bros. is yet to address the actor’s comments, fans can already hear Draco’s voice whispering from the shadows: “Potter”.
After speaking with The Times in 2022 and praising Rowling for creating the immersive and beloved Harry Potter universe, Felton told People that he’s totally down to surprise the young actor who ends up playing Draco—maybe even pop up in the background. So far, only the Golden Trio has been cast as the youngest members of the show.
He told The Times,
No one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life. I’ve only had a handful of meetings with her, but she has always been lovely. So I’m very grateful for that.
Felton told People,
I think we’re all very excited to see the wizarding world continue. I’m looking forward to knocking on young Draco’s door and surprising him, or something like that. I’ll definitely be sneaking into a background shot as an extra.
The series, rumored to be a more book-accurate adaptation, aims to delve deeply into the original material. That means more scenes with Peeves, house-elves, and yes, hopefully more Draco. Because let’s be honest, the fandom thrives on Malfoy content, and 31 minutes wasn’t enough for our platinum blonde bully.
The Harry Potter films are currently streaming in the US on Max.
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