# Scarlett Byrne
**Scarlett Byrne** (full name Scarlett Hannah Byrne, now credited as Scarlett Hefner) is an English actress and model best known for playing the Slytherin student Pansy Parkinson in the last three [Harry Potter](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-potter) films and the vampire-witch Nora Hildegard in the seventh season of the American television series *The Vampire Diaries*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/scarlett-byrne/umc.cpc.2kf2oj3hyw4gsah0xhzmurr2l) She was born in 1990 in [Hammersmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/hammersmith), London, England.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Scarlett Hannah Byrne; married name Scarlett Hefner[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/) |
| Born | 1990, Hammersmith, London, England, UK[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/) |
| Signature film role | Pansy Parkinson in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* (2009), *Deathly Hallows: Part 1* (2010), and *Deathly Hallows: Part 2* (2011)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) |
| Signature TV roles | Alexis "Lexi" Glass-Mason in *Falling Skies* (13 episodes, 2014–2015); Nora Hildegard in *The Vampire Diaries* (12 episodes, 2015–2016)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) |
| Screen debut | The short film *CryBaby* (2005)[4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne) |
| Marriage | Married Cooper Hefner, son of Hugh Hefner, on November 4, 2019, in a civil ceremony in Los Angeles[5](https://www.eonline.com/news/1089427/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-scarlett-byrne-in-courthouse-ceremony) |
| Children | Three daughters: Betsy Rose (born 2020) and twins Marigold Adele and Blossom Pearl (born 2022)[6](https://www.eonline.com/news/1181737/cooper-hefners-wife-scarlett-byrne-gives-birth-to-a-baby-girl) • [7](https://healthyceleb.com/scarlett-byrne/) |
## Early life and start in acting
Byrne was born in the Hammersmith district of London.[8](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scarlett-byrne.html) As a child she regularly performed in stage shows of Irish dancing, and her mother enrolled her in a performing arts school when she turned 12.[7](https://healthyceleb.com/scarlett-byrne/)
Her first screen appearance came at age 14, in the short film *CryBaby* (2005) by writer-director Asier Newman.[9](https://prabook.com/web/scarlett.byrne/1877118) • [4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne) She then played Chloe Daniels in an episode of the British television drama *Doctors* in 2008.[4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne)
## Harry Potter
Before her casting as Pansy Parkinson, Byrne auditioned for the role of [Luna Lovegood](https://www.edgepedia.org/luna-lovegood) in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* (2007).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/) In 2009 she won the part of Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin student, in the sixth film of the series, *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, and reprised the role in the final two films, *Deathly Hallows: Part 1* (2010) and *Part 2* (2011).[4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) The role is the one she is most widely identified with; fan and press coverage of her later television work frequently introduces her as "the Harry Potter actress".[10](https://acedmagazine.com/interview-falling-skies-scarlett-byrne-lexi/)
She has remained connected to the franchise's fan community. At [Dragon Con](https://www.edgepedia.org/dragon-con) 2014 she appeared on a panel with [Evanna Lynch](https://www.edgepedia.org/evanna-lynch), who played Luna Lovegood, discussing life before, during, and after the films.[11](https://dailydragon.dragoncon.org/2019/growing-up-potter-a-journey-through-time/) Lynch has described Byrne as her closest friend from the films.[12](https://younghollywood.com/scene/chatting-with-harry-potter-star-evanna-lynch.html)
## Television career
After the Harry Potter series ended, Byrne played Brittany in the television movie *Lake Placid: The Final Chapter* (2012) and appeared in short projects, including the 2013 short film *Lashes*.[4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne)
Her first major television role was series regular as Alexis "Lexi" Glass-Mason in the fourth season of TNT's science-fiction series *Falling Skies*, playing an older version of the character, a young woman with special powers and an unusual connection to the alien invaders; she appeared in 13 episodes between 2014 and 2015 and moved to Vancouver for the filming.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) • [10](https://acedmagazine.com/interview-falling-skies-scarlett-byrne-lexi/) • [4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne)
In 2015 she joined *The Vampire Diaries* as Nora Hildegard, a witch-vampire hybrid and member of Lily Salvatore's family of Heretics, a recurring role in the show's seventh season covering 12 episodes broadcast between 2015 and 2016.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) • [4](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne) Her other screen credits include the television movie *Sorority Murder* (2015), the action-thriller film *Skybound* (2017), one episode of the series *Mary + Jane* (2016), and five episodes as Bronwyn in Marvel's *Runaways* (2019).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885) • [13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/scarlett_byrne)
## Personal life
Byrne began dating [Cooper Hefner](https://www.edgepedia.org/cooper-hefner), son of *Playboy* founder [Hugh Hefner](https://www.edgepedia.org/hugh-hefner), and the two became engaged in 2015.[5](https://www.eonline.com/news/1089427/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-scarlett-byrne-in-courthouse-ceremony) They married in a civil ceremony in Los Angeles on November 4, 2019, and she announced the marriage on Instagram, where she also changed her name to Mrs. Hefner.[5](https://www.eonline.com/news/1089427/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-scarlett-byrne-in-courthouse-ceremony) • [14](https://www.etonline.com/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-actress-scarlett-byrne-135607)
Their daughter Betsy Rose Hefner was born in 2020, weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and was named after Cooper's grandmother Betsy Aldridge-Conrad.[6](https://www.eonline.com/news/1181737/cooper-hefners-wife-scarlett-byrne-gives-birth-to-a-baby-girl) Twin daughters Marigold Adele Hefner and Blossom Pearl Hefner were born in 2022.[7](https://healthyceleb.com/scarlett-byrne/) The family lives in Los Angeles.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/)
## References
1. [Scarlett Hefner – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885/bio/)
2. [Scarlett Byrne Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/scarlett-byrne/umc.cpc.2kf2oj3hyw4gsah0xhzmurr2l)
3. [Scarlett Hefner, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2906885)
4. [Scarlett Byrne, The Vampire Diaries Wiki (Fandom)](https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Scarlett_Byrne)
5. [Hugh Hefner's Son Cooper Marries Scarlett Byrne in Courthouse Ceremony, E! News](https://www.eonline.com/news/1089427/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-scarlett-byrne-in-courthouse-ceremony)
6. [Cooper Hefner's Wife Scarlett Byrne Gives Birth to a Baby Girl, E! News](https://www.eonline.com/news/1181737/cooper-hefners-wife-scarlett-byrne-gives-birth-to-a-baby-girl)
7. [Scarlett Byrne Height, Weight, Age, Spouse, Family, Facts, Biography, HealthyCeleb](https://healthyceleb.com/scarlett-byrne/)
8. [Scarlett Byrne – Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scarlett-byrne.html)
9. [Scarlett Byrne, Prabook](https://prabook.com/web/scarlett.byrne/1877118)
10. [An Interview with Falling Skies' Scarlett Byrne (Lexi), ACED Magazine](https://acedmagazine.com/interview-falling-skies-scarlett-byrne-lexi/)
11. [Growing up Potter: A Journey Through Time, Daily Dragon (Dragon Con)](https://dailydragon.dragoncon.org/2019/growing-up-potter-a-journey-through-time/)
12. [Catching Up With: 'Harry Potter' Star Evanna Lynch, Young Hollywood](https://younghollywood.com/scene/chatting-with-harry-potter-star-evanna-lynch.html)
13. [Scarlett Byrne Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/scarlett_byrne)
14. [Hugh Hefner's Son Cooper Marries Actress Scarlett Byrne, Entertainment Tonight](https://www.etonline.com/hugh-hefners-son-cooper-marries-actress-scarlett-byrne-135607)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Be to B*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license