English actress Scarlett Byrnes played the nasty Slytherin housemate Pansy Parkinson in the last three Harry Potter films. She also did a turn on The Vampire Diaries.
And she is married to none other than multi-millionaire Cooper Hefner, son of Hugh Hefner of Playboy fame. She's even been photographed for the magazine. Cooper believes #NakedIsNormal.
Scarlett was born in Hammersmith London in 1990. Her big acting break came in 2009 when she was cast as Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Cooper Hefner saw her in the film and fell for her hard. But she needed more than a little convincing before she would agree to go out with him.
And now they are married. In August of 2020 they welcomed a daughter they named Betsy, after Hugh Hefner's beloved grandmother.
And now? Scarlett is still acting, off and on, but mostly focusing on her new life with Cooper. It's a happy ending all around.
Let's take a look at what Scarlett has been up to since she played the evil and wicked Pansy Parkinson.
Cooper Hefner Fell In Love With Pansy
Well, not really. But when he saw Byrne playing her, he was hooked. Back in 2016 he was interviewed by LA Weekly and said "Scout Willis was one of my closest friends growing up. And, at the time, she was at Brown University with Emma Watson, so I thought that was my in." Not so fast says, Scarlett. Poor old Coop spent five years "courting" her on Facebook before she would agree to go out with him! The result was an ice cream date in Germany.
It must have been very good ice cream because the two were engaged in 2015. Cooper, of course, asked Scarlett's father's permission and rolled up with "a massive yellow diamond". Did they do the mega-wedding thing? No way. In 2019 they simply went to the local courthouse and tied the knot without any fuss. Celebrations came later.
Afterward, there was kind of a gush-fest with the two going nuts posting on social media. Cooper posted some pictures of their modest ceremony, saying "Cheers to a life full of love, happiness, adventure, and great purpose, Mrs. Hefner. I love you dearly ..." Byrne for her part said how "proud" she was to stand by his side.
Then in August of 2020, little Betsy came along.
The two seem totally, utterly, thoroughly loved up. Harry Potter opened the doors to Scarlett's personal happiness. Cooper's too.
Scarlett's Career Post-Pansy
Scarlett began her acting career in 2005 and mooched around for a few years before landing the plum role of Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She also appeared in the last two Harry Potter films.
After Harry Potter finished, she was cast as Brittany in Lake Placid: The Final Chapter. Then in 2014, she struck lucky again when she became a regular cast member in sci-fi hit Falling Skies. It meant a move to Vancouver where the show was filmed, but it was so totally worth it.
Another Scarlett milestone came in 2015 when she struck gold being cast as the witch/vampire Nora Hildegard in The Vampire Diaries. In total, she appeared in twelve episodes. Alas, her character was killed off.
But by that time, she had Cooper Hefner to console her.
And the relationship netted her another gig. In early 2017, Scarlett bared down for a tasteful black and white photoshoot for Playboy. She posted the classy snaps on Instagram using #NakedIsNormal.
At the time, she said, "I'm very proud to be a part of the March/April issue of Playboy. I penned a short essay along with my pictorial titled, 'The Feminist Mystique'. A big thank you to Playboy, the creative team, and Cooper Hefner for such a unique opportunity."
See? It's naked but feminist.
She's done a few other films and TV shows and in 2018 she rolled up for trio dance week of Dancing with the Stars, partnering her fellow Harry Potter castmate Evanna Lynch and her partner Keo Motsepe. Evanna played the goofy, but lovable Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films. Apparently, Evanna stayed the course, coming in third, meaning she may have taken home hundreds of thousands of dollars!
They danced to the Little Mix song "Black Magic". The judges said Byrne and Lynch weren't in synch. But they had fun.
Scarlett seems to excel in wizard/witch/vampire roles because in 2019 she was cast as Bronwyn, a member of Morgan le Fey's coven in Marvel's Runaways. She apparently does the evil eye thing well.
Family Life
Cooper, Scarlett, and Rose are a tight family unit. They don't really see much of Cooper's older brother Marston. Seems that a while back Marston was living with a Playmate and went in for a spot of domestic abuse.
And now that Cooper has announced he is running for the California State Senate, Scarlett is busy helping to organize his campaign.
All in all, Scarlett Byrne has pretty much forged a perfect professional and personal life since the Harry Potter films ended.