Jamie Waylett is a British former actor. His only film role to date is that of Vincent Crabbe in six of the eight Harry Potter films. In 2012, he was imprisoned for two years for his participation in the 2011 England riots.

Childhood & Early Life

At the age of nine, Waylett was involved in a road accident in which a car hit him. He was subsequently taken to a hospital and his mother was contacted. The hospital initially told his mother that her son’s legs were broken. However, when she got there, she found out that Waylett was unconscious. The doctors were not sure if he would survive. Furthermore, they feared that even if he did, he would suffer permanent brain damage. For the following three days, Waylett was kept in the ICU. He occasionally gained consciousness but was completely incoherent during those moments. After three days, his father ensured that the doctors checked their son’s blood. Later that day, they administered a blood transfusion. This had a positive effect, and he woke up on the very next day. In time, he regained full mental faculties.

Involvement in the Harry Potter Franchise

In 2000, Waylett was attending Emmanuel Primary School when he was cast as Vincent Crabbe in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film. During the general auditioning process, his photograph was accepted. Initially, the producers believed that he would be perfect for the role of Dudley Dursley, the son of Harry Potter’s maternal aunt. However, director Christopher Columbus decided to hire him for the role of Vincent Crabbe.

A pure-blood dark wizard, Crabbe is one of two lackeys of Draco Malfoy. Several of his ancestors, including his father and grandfather, were dark wizards. In his final year at Hogwarts, he turns into a dark wizard himself. While Crabbe appeared in all seven of JK Rowling’s books, Waylett portrayed the character in the first six films: ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ (2001), ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002), ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004), ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005), ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007), and ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009). In the mid-2000s, he wanted to pursue a career in acting and had his parents’ support. At the time, his mother was serving as his manager.

Run-ins with the Law

In 2006, Jamie Waylett faced allegations of using cocaine. On April 7, 2009, Waylett and one of his friends were apprehended by the police after eight bags of cannabis and a knife were discovered in their vehicle. The police also searched his mother’s house and found that they had a small cannabis farm there. A month later, the charges of cannabis possession were brought against him. On 16 July, he made an appearance before the court to plead guilty of charges of farming cannabis but maintained that it was for his personal use. Five days later, the judge ordered him to perform 120 hours of community service. After the arrest, Waylett was removed from the Harry Potter cast, and he was not part of the last two films.

He was arrested once more on October 14, 2011, for taking part in the 2011 England riots. Among the charges he faced were “violent disorder, having an article with intent to destroy or damage property, and receiving stolen goods". During the riot, he was reportedly seen brandishing a Molotov cocktail and ransacking a chemist in Chalk Farm, London. The authorities found cannabis plants at his house this time as well. On March 20, 2012, he was given a two-year jail sentence for participating in the riots.