2001–2011: Beginnings and Harry Potter series In 1999, castings were held across the UK for ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', the film adaptation of British author
J. K. Rowling's best-selling
novel. Wright's elder brother had read the first two books in the series and informed her that she reminded him of
Ginny Weasley. Wright did not have any prior professional experience aside from school
plays, and asked her mother if she could audition "on a whim". The film broke sales records and was the highest-grossing film of 2001. She reprised her role the following year in
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which her character begins studies at Hogwarts and encounters a secret diary that begins to control her actions. One critic cited her role as "important" but "underdeveloped". The film broke the opening records of its predecessor and became the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time in the region. In 2002 and 2004, Wright co-starred in two
television films:
Stranded (2002), a period piece, and
Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures (2004), where she played the younger version of the
titular writer. Wright had supporting roles in the successive releases of
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, released in 2004 and 2005 to commercial success and increasing worldwide recognition. in 2010As Ginny, she appeared more prominently in
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), joining
Dumbledore's Army and eventually participating in the climactic scene, battling against
Lord Voldemort and the
Death Eaters. Mark Adams of
The Sunday Mirror wrote that Wright's performance "makes the most subtle and memorable impact... her time is to come." The film was a critical and financial success, with a record-breaking opening weekend. In 2007, Wright guest starred on the
Disney Channel's
The Replacements, where she voiced Vanessa in the second-season premiere titled "London Calling".
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released in 2009. Wright's character continued to develop, becoming
chaser for the Gryffindor
Quidditch team as well as Harry Potter's love interest.
Variety stated that her portrayal "intrigues as the sort of initial plain Jane who keeps growing on you". In
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Wright reprised her role for the final time, being featured during the film's prominent battle storyline and in the
epilogue, set nineteen years later. Wright was nominated for an
Empire Award for her performance in the final film. She has also provided the voice of Ginny in the video game versions of
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Wright is one of the thirteen actors who have appeared in all eight films of the Harry Potter franchise, being part of the cast members Rowling referred to as "The Big Seven".
2012–present: Independent films and directorial focus In 2012, Wright founded her
film production company, BonBonLumiere. The film premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival in 2012 and the
Gold Coast International Film Festival in 2013. Nick de Semlyen of
Empire praised Wright's direction, saying that "it's an impressive first work from someone who clearly has ambition to burn." In 2013, she co-starred in
Before I Sleep alongside an
ensemble cast. The film was shot in
New England, and premiered at the 2013
Heartland Film Festival. She then appeared in
The Sea (2013), an adaptation of the
John Banville novel, playing Rose, a "fragile, distracted young nanny". The film premiered at the
Edinburgh International Film Festival on 23 June 2013.
The Sea received mixed reviews; one critic wrote that Wright was an "underused but ultimately ineffective screen presence". That same year, she also made her stage debut in the role of The Girl in
Peter Ustinov's
The Moment of Truth. The play was performed at the
Southwark Playhouse in London from June to July. Wright received critical praise for her stage performance; the
British Theatre Guide wrote she "makes clear in her performance, she is motivated by love for her father and movingly has to face rejection..." Wright filmed the comedy
Those Who Wander and the family-adventure film
Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? in 2013. In December 2013, she directed
Sophie Lowe in her music video "Dreaming". The video was shot in
Joshua Tree National Park. In 2014, she took part in the third series of
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off, winning the first episode and being named the "Star Baker". Wright starred alongside
Rhys Wakefield,
James D'Arcy and her
Harry Potter co-star
Freddie Stroma in the science fiction film
After the Dark (2014), directed by John Huddles and filmed in
Jakarta, Indonesia. She played Georgina, one of the students. The film premiered at
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival on 7 July 2013. Reviews for
After the Dark were mixed;
The Village Voice commented that the film "slid[es] into a ... soapy backstory while suggesting that supporting actress Bonnie Wright might have been a stronger [..] lead". Wright voiced a character in the animated film
My Dad Is Scrooge (2014). In May 2014, Wright wrote and directed short film
Know Thyself, starring her
Harry Potter co-star
Christian Coulson.
Know Thyself premiered at festival NewFilmmakers NY on 10 February 2016;
Elle referred to the film as "emotive". In July 2014, Wright directed the short film
Fade to Gold, showcasing her parents' creative design of their jewellery. In August 2016, her company released the first instalment of
Sextant, a twelve-part work with each short shot under a
full moon, containing themes of cosmic order and poetry. Wright stated that she desired to shoot "when our sensitivities are heightened" and that the film reflected her interest in how a landscape can be "the catalyst..for self discovery". Wright's next directorial project was a three-episode series entitled
Phone Calls, showing phone conversations with three pairs of people who never physically interact on-screen.
Phone Calls premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival in April 2017. In June 2018, Wright released ''Medusa's Ankles
, based on a section of The
Matisse Stories
by A. S. Byatt. The film was shot in Lincoln, England, and starred Kerry Fox as a woman experiencing a menopausal midlife crisis, alongside Harry Potter'' co-star
Jason Isaacs as a charismatic, "self obsessed" hairdresser with whom she develops a fraught connection. Wright stated that in her direction, she tried to capture "the intimate experience" of going to a salon and experiencing sudden, personal change. Wright directed Lowe again in her music video for "Taught You How To Feel", released in November 2018. Wright also directed the music video for
Pete Yorn and
Scarlett Johansson's single, "Iguana Bird", an "expressive personification of heartbreak recovery", released in October 2018. Wright's next video was for independent artist MAGUIRE, entitled "Fallible". It was released in June 2019;
Fame Magazine called it a "breathtakingly candid portrait". In March 2020, Wright narrated an
audiobook adaption of
Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump from
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an in-universe book of
Wizarding World children's stories written by Rowling. The audiobook was released in aid of the charity
Lumos. ==Other ventures==