You probably know them as the powerhouse siblings who dominated the Dancing with the Stars ballroom. They've won Mirrorball trophies, bagged Emmys, and basically became the face of professional dance in America. But before the spray tans and the sequined vests, Derek and Julianne Hough were just two blonde kids living in London, attending a performing arts school, and—as it turns out—padding their resumes as extras in the Wizarding World.
Yeah, I'm serious.
If you squint during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you’ll catch them. They aren't just background noise; they are actual students of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. It’s one of those "blink and you'll miss it" Hollywood trivia facts that feels like a fever dream until you see the screenshots. Honestly, it makes total sense when you look at their timeline. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the Hough parents sent them to the UK to study under Corky and Shirley Ballas at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. While they were busy mastering the cha-cha and the waltz, the biggest film franchise in history was holding open casting calls for kids who looked British enough to fill the Great Hall.
How the Houghs Ended Up at Hogwarts
The year was 2000. Production for the first film was in full swing at Leavesden Studios. Because the Houghs were already enrolled in a prestigious performing arts school in London, they were essentially in the perfect "pipeline" for background work. The casting directors needed hundreds of children to make Hogwarts feel like a lived-in boarding school.
Julianne was only about 11 or 12 years old at the time. She actually landed a bit more screen time than her brother. You can see her clearly during the scene where the students are eating in the Great Hall, and again during the iconic Quidditch match. She was sorted into Gryffindor—red and gold robes and everything.
Derek, on the other hand, was a Ravenclaw. He’s a bit harder to spot, mostly because he was a few years older and taller, blending into the back of the shots. He has joked in interviews about how he actually "stole" his costume. Well, maybe not stole in the criminal sense, but he definitely walked off set with a few souvenirs that would be worth a fortune on eBay today. He kept his Ravenclaw robe, his tie, and even his wand.
It wasn't just a one-day gig, either. They spent months on set. Imagine being a pre-teen and getting paid to sit in a room that looks like a literal castle while Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are feet away trying to remember their lines. Julianne has mentioned in various interviews, including on The Kelly Clarkson Show, that she even had a massive crush on Daniel Radcliffe. She even sent him a love note and a Beanie Baby. He never wrote back. Rough.
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The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Breakdown
Let's get specific about where to find them because people always ask for the timestamps.
For Julianne, keep your eyes peeled during the scene where Hermione (Emma Watson) is walking through the Great Hall. Julianne is sitting at the Gryffindor table, right there in the thick of it. She’s got that distinctive blonde hair, looking very much like a young girl who has no idea she’s going to be a household name in a decade. She also pops up during the "Fluffy" sequence—the three-headed dog—though she’s mostly just part of the crowd of panicked students.
Derek’s big moment? Look for the scene where Ron and Harry are playing Wizard's Chess during Christmas break. As Hermione walks past them with her luggage, there’s a blonde boy in a Ravenclaw sweater walking in the opposite direction. That’s Derek. He’s only on screen for a second or two, but once you see it, the jawline is unmistakable.
- Julianne's House: Gryffindor
- Derek's House: Ravenclaw
- The Paycheck: Julianne once joked that she received a check for roughly £5,000, which felt like a million dollars to a kid in 2001.
It’s interesting to think about how that environment shaped them. Being an extra is boring. It’s a lot of sitting around. It’s "hurry up and wait." For two kids who were already being trained in the high-discipline world of competitive ballroom dance, the structure of a film set probably felt like second nature.
Why This Matters for Their Careers
You might think, "Okay, they were extras, who cares?" But in the world of entertainment, every bit of early exposure counts. Working on a set as massive as Harry Potter gives a young performer a sense of scale. They saw how the magic was made—literally. They saw the animatronics, the green screens, and the level of professionalism required to sustain a multi-billion dollar brand.
When they eventually transitioned to Dancing with the Stars, they weren't just dancers. They were performers who understood cameras. They knew how to find their light. They understood that even if you aren't the "star" of the frame, your energy contributes to the overall scene.
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Also, it’s a great "humanizing" factor. We see them now as polished, flawless stars. Knowing they were once just background kids in pointy hats makes them feel a bit more relatable. It’s the ultimate "started from the bottom" story for theater nerds.
Misconceptions About Their Roles
One thing people get wrong constantly is thinking they had speaking lines. They didn't. They were "background talent." If they had spoken, they would have had to be joined to the actors' union and paid significantly more.
Another myth is that they were in all the movies. They weren't. By the time Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was filming, their dance careers were starting to take off in a major way. They were traveling for competitions and couldn't commit to the long hours required on a film set. Their stint in the Wizarding World was a brief, magical window in time that aligned perfectly with their move to London.
What they took from the experience:
- Work Ethic: 12-hour days on set at a young age.
- Souvenirs: Derek’s "borrowed" Ravenclaw gear.
- Perspective: Realizing that the entertainment industry is a massive machine.
The Houghs have always been open about their time in England being difficult. They were away from their parents, living in a foreign country, and training under intense pressure. The Harry Potter gig was probably one of the few times they got to just be kids and experience something purely fun, even if it was technically "work."
How to Spot Them Today
If you’re doing a rewatch of Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone if you’re a purist), keep your finger on the pause button.
- The Great Hall Scenes: Look at the Gryffindor table for Julianne during the Sorting Ceremony and the feasts.
- The Quidditch Match: Look at the crowd shots of the Gryffindor stands.
- The Hallway Transitions: This is where Derek usually appears, often walking past the main trio as they head to class.
It’s a fun Easter egg for fans of the siblings. It’s also a testament to how small the world of London performing arts schools really is. Most of the kids in those early movies came from schools like Italia Conti or Sylvia Young.
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Actionable Steps for Superfans
If you want to dive deeper into this specific piece of Hough history, there are a few things you can do instead of just scrolling through TikTok.
First, check out the 20th Anniversary Reunion special on HBO Max (now Max). While the Houghs aren't interviewed, seeing the behind-the-scenes footage of the Great Hall will give you a much better sense of the world they were inhabiting.
Second, if you're ever in London, visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. You can stand in the actual Great Hall where Julianne sat. You can see the Ravenclaw costumes that Derek wore. It puts the scale of their "first job" into perspective.
Lastly, keep an eye on their social media around October. Every few years, Julianne or Derek will post a throwback photo from the set, usually with a self-deprecating caption about their hair or their awkward pre-teen phases. Those posts often contain the best "proof" and behind-the-scenes stories that haven't made it into the mainstream news cycle.
The Hough journey from Hogwarts to Hollywood is a weirdly specific trajectory, but it’s one that proves success is often a mix of extreme talent and being in the right place (London) at the right time (the 2000s). They might not have cast any spells on screen, but they certainly used that experience to build a magical career of their own.