Saturday, April 20, 2024

How Many Actors Played Dumbledore

Don't Miss

Michael Gambon Was The Dumbledore Needed For The War

Harry Potter: Sir Ian McKellen reveals why he turned down Dumbledore role – BBC News

Gambons version of Dumbledore has more edge, more bite. He is the Dumbledore that is needed to fight against Voldemort and the darkness that comes with it.

His gruff demeanor helps the fans and Harry Potter to prepare for the rough time that is about to occur. It also reveals a new side, one that may have been created in the past from run-ins with Death Eaters and Voldemort.

Michael Gambon: Suits The New Darkness

As Harry gets older, the stakes are heightened. He has to come face-to-face with the Dark Lord, and the world around him is changing. Death Eaters are roaming the Muggle world, his friends are in danger, and he needs to learn more powerful magic quickly.

The arrival of Dementors and mysterious dogs in the third film marks a very big change from the two previous films. Even the color palette of this film is darker. Harris’s Dumbledore would seem out of place in this shadowy world, while Gambon’s mysterious character suits it. His approach to Dumbledore also hints at a darkness in his own past which isn’t present in Harris’s.

Jamie Waylett As Vincent Crabbe

As Draco Malfoy’s pastry-loving henchman Vincent Crabbe, Jamie Waylett did a suitable enough job. The young actor, like many of his contemporaries in the series, was completely new to the world of film when he suited up as the Slytherin sycophant, but he gradually got more and more screen time throughout his six-film tenure and was convincing as the sniveling sidekick. By the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 arrived, however, Gregory Goyle was seen standing next to a new Malfoy lieutenant: Blaise Zabini .

Meanwhile, Crabbe was completely out of the picturewhile the role itself wasn’t recast, the character was shuffled out of sight to make room for Zabiniand it all stemmed from Waylett’s off-camera run-ins with the law. Waylett was arrested in 2009 after he was caught growing marijuana plants in his mother’s home. That incident alone was enough to lose him his prime position in the Potter world , and the troubles would only continue for him. The actor was later arrested again in 2012 for participating in a riot, and this time, he faced jail time. At least one of his co-stars would publicly rise to his defense, but the damage was still done to the actor’s career, and he hasn’t worked in a single film since.

Don’t Miss: Who Played Hermione

Harry Potter: The Actors Who Almost Played Dumbledore

The role of Albus Dumbledore had to be cast multiple times for the Harry Potter film series, and a number of actors were considered for the part.

An impressive number of big-name actors were considered for the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series based on the novels by J.K. Rowling. The Hogwarts Headmaster was originally played by Irish actor Richard Harris. After his untimely death following the second film, the studio was tasked with recasting the role. Michael Gambon was chosen as the replacement, portraying the character for the remainder of the films however, there were other names on the list throughout both stages of casting the prominent role.

Albus Dumbledore served as Harry Potter’s primary mentor during the young wizard’s time at Hogwarts. Over time, Harry and his friends started to understand just how much influence Dumbledore had on the wizarding world. He was a half-blood wizard with immense powers and strength for leading through the toughest of times. Dumbledore founded the Order of the Phoenix and stood as a symbol of resistance following Lord Voldemort’s second uprising. Even after the wizard’s tragic death, Dumbledore’s legacy lived on.

Related: Why The Harry Potter Movies Cut Professor Binns

Richard Harris: His Childlike Wonder

Dumbledore, Satan or Percival? How Chinese parents are offered tips for ...

Albus Dumbledore is a character with a lot of depth and complexity to him, and the way he’s played is often up to the actor. What makes Richard Harris stand out in his performance as Dumbledore is his demeanor.

RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Hidden Details About Basilisks You Probably Missed

Richard Harris makes a perfect Dumbledore in the early years of Harry Potter because, despite the fact that he is presented to appear ancient, he still seems like someone who looks at the world with a sense of childlike wonder and excitement. This is ideal for relating to young Harry.

Read Also: What Is George Weasley’s Middle Name

Leilah Sutherland And Rochelle Douglas As Alicia Spinnet

Alicia Spinnet is one of those minor Harry Potter characters who often appears in the background, but never actually has any lines. Therefore, she has been played by a number of different actresses, although only two actually received credit for the role. According to IMDB, Leilah Sutherland played Alicia Spinnet in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, where she is seen with Harry when he plays his first Quidditch match.

Alicia was a chaser for the Gryffindor quidditch team and became a member of Dumbledore’s Army in the books, although it’s unclear whether or not she’s part of the villainous club in the films. Rochelle Douglas took over the role for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, again showing up during a Quidditch related scene. Neither Sutherland or Douglas have any other acting credits, but Douglas is a former international gymnastics champion and current girl’s gymnastics coach for Europa Gym in Crayford, a town about 20 miles east of London.

Michael Gambon: Brings The Playfulness That Dumbledore Needs

“Playful” may seem like a strange way to describe Dumbledore, especially Gambon’s, but somehow the actor manages to make him feel that way. Richard Harris brought a gentle playfulness to his version of Dumbledore, but Gambon made Albus feel like more of a rebel.

Dumbledore may be the headmaster of the school, but it’s one of the strangest and most free-wheeling schools that anyone has ever seen. It makes a lot of sense for Dumbledore to be much laxer and seem like he’s even in on the fun sometimes.

You May Like: Harry Potter House Colors

Jennifer Smith And Jessie Cave As Lavender Brown

Now on to the most controversial Harry Potter recasting to date: Lavender Brown. Up until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lavender was played by an uncredited actress, since she was in the background with some of the other Gryffindor students. However, in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film, she was credited as Jennifer Smith and seen more often during classes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, including Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. It isn’t until the sixth film that Lavender is seen again, but boy does she look different.

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book did not come out until 2005, the same year the movie adaptation of Goblet of Fire came out. At that time, the Harry Potter producers found out that Lavender begins to have a more important role as Ron’s first girlfriend. As a result, they recast the role and gave it to a white actress instead, Jessie Cave. While Lavender’s race is not explicitly mentioned in the books, many fans were offended by this sudden change of race, taking to sites like Tumblr to vent their frustrations and even writing academic essays on the subject. It’s likely that the original casting was more of an afterthought than a purposeful choice, assigning extras minor characters’ names from the book so they could keep track of them. Nevertheless, it was a pretty reprehensible decision — one that Warner Brothers never apologized for.

Richard Harris Vs Michael Gambon As Dumbledore In Harry Potter

FANTASTIC BEASTS 3: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) Movie Preview

Dumbledore is one of the most important characters and influences during Harry Potters life at Hogwarts. It was not easy when Richard Harris passed away, and the role had to be cast to someone new. This can either destroy a film or make it better.

Richard Harris did a wonderful job encompassing the idealistic, caring, and hopeful aura of Dumbledore that reflects the character from the books. Michael Gambon proved to be more exciting and a little rough around the edges, Dumbledore.

People argue that one is better than the other, but this is difficult because both have a unique twist on the character without straying too far from the books.

Both provided great performances that will forever be remembered by Harry Potter fans.

Don’t Miss: How Did Fred Weasley Die

Verne Troyer As Griphook

The casting of the Harry Potter films was limited to British thespiansa rule so strict it even forced producers to turn down Robin Williams for the role of Hagridbut Verne Troyer became the rare exception when he was cast as the Gringotts banker Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Troyer was the only American actor with a major role in the film, but the character was voiced by his English co-star Warwick Davis, who also portrayed Professor Flitwick and another bank teller in the film.

By the time Griphook became more significant to the story in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Davis took over the role completely. Davis later explained his decision to seek out the role. “Griphook has so much more depth to him than I’d ever been able to get into my work as Professor Flitwick. So, I went in and read for David Yates and the casting director, and gave them a best shot, David left a message that I’d got the part.”

Why Dumbledore Was Recast

In the first two Harry Potter films, Dumbledore is portrayed by Richard Harris. Unfortunately, after the second film was completed, Harris died. This put Warner Brothers in an unenviable position of replacing a major character in their franchise. This was particularly difficult for this series, as WB knew they had at least five more films Dumbledore would need to appear in. That meant that whoever they cast would have to be the right fit for the role. Recasting again could throw off the franchises continuity even more.

The studio ended up going with veteran actor Michael Gambon. Gambon played Dumbledore starting with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and finished out the series as the character, with his last appearance coming in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.

Recommended Reading: Owl From Harry Potter Name

Why Does Voldemort Have No Nose

He lost his nose gradually throughout the years as he sunk deeper and deeper into evil, and lost more parts of his soul. As his soul went, it also affected his physical features. His face became waxy, distorted. This is a metaphor for him losing his humanity.

Why did Voldemort make 7 Horcruxes? Voldemort wanted to have his soul splited in 7 parts because he believed that 7 was the most powerful number, the number of perfection. Therefore he created intentionally 6 horcruxes in order to have 7 fragments of his soul: the main one he himself, plus the other parts the horcruxes.

Is Snape Harrys dad?

No, Snape is definitely not Harrys dad. James Potter is Harrys dad.

Was Voldemort expelled from Hogwarts? 1943: Voldemort creates his first horcrux. 1945: Voldemort leaves Hogwarts and disappears. Albus defeats Grindelwald in a duel, winning control of the Elder Wand and ending the Global Wizarding War.

Richard Harris As Albus Dumbledore

Between the first Dumbledore (Sir Richard St John Harris

Richard Harris was an amazing choice when cast as Dumbledore. He provided everyone with a mentor that we all wish and desire that Harry needed when he first came to Hogwarts.

He provided a version of Dumbledore that gave Harry the warmth he had desired from an adult figure.

Sadly, he only played in the first two Harry Potter movies before he passed in 2002. But he was the first Dumbledore everyone met and learned to love.

You May Like: Dumbledores House

Nina Young As The Grey Lady

When the ghost of the Grey Lady first appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, no one could have predicted how important the character would later become. True to the first few books, she was originally depicted as just another one of the many poltergeists that pesters the students of Hogwarts, with actress Nina Young floating around in the CGI role. However, it would eventually be revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that she was so much more than some random apparition.

The Grey Lady was Rowena Ravenclaws daughter Helena, who had given Tom Riddle access to her mothers diadem so that it could be made into one of his horcruxes. Considering the enhanced importance of the role that emerged in the later books, the film part was given to a more accomplished actress instead of its originator. Kelly Macdonald, who was tearing up the silver and small screens alike with her celebrated work in No Country for Old Men and Boardwalk Empire, stepped into the ghosts shoes to give them a little more gravitas in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. According to Pottermore, the actress had previously been considered for the role of Nymphadora Tonks.

Dont Miss: Which Weasley Brother Dies

Michael Gambon Was An Unpredictable Dumbledore

Michael Gambon brought a more unpredictable and new Dumbledore in his adaptation that made the character more rounded. This is not to downgrade Harriss version, but Gambon brought his style.

We see a more serious version of Dumbledore, which is perfect later in the series. This shift helps set the tone of the films and how there will be a transformation in the series themes.

You May Like: How Long Is Hermione’s Wand

He Lets Dangerous Things Happen At Hogwarts

Dumbledore doesnt seem to give a sh*t that his school is overrun by dangerous things. Its right next to the Forbidden Forest, which is known for werewolves and other dangerous creatures that could kill someone and yet, at no point ever does he attempt to clear out the forest. In fact, he actually lets a detention happen IN it at night. Um, what?! And this isnt all. Hogwarts repeatedly proves itself to be an excessively dangerous place, with Dumbledore doing absolutely nothing to protect the students. At one point, there are Dementors around it. Yes, hes furious, but he doesnt seem to have argued against it particularly hard And all of this combined makes it seem like Dumbledore doesnt really care too much for the welfare of his students.

Professor Trelawney Emma Thompson

Wizarding World Trivia | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

After her final appearance as Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Emma Thompson has had steady work in the film industry. Shes had plenty of acting roles like two Men in Black films, Beautiful Creatures , voice acting roles in Brave and Dolittle, as well as writing credits for Bridget Joness Baby and Last Christmas. She also starred in Beauty and the Beast with fellow Harry Potter actress Emma Watson.

Also Check: Can I Watch Harry Potter On Hulu

Recommended Reading: Guy Who Plays Voldemort

Sharon Sandhu And Afshan Azad As Padma Patil

One-half of the Patil sisters, Padma was originally played by Sharon Sandhu in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Sandhu was another young actor who was probably just cast as a student in the background, since she was originally just credited as Girl #2. Even though she was a Ravenclaw in the books, the filmmakers chose to keep her in Gryffindor with her sister Parvati. Padma and Parvati were described by Dean Thomas as the best-looking girls in the school during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Padma was likely recast for that film since Goblet of Fire is when she went to the Yule Ball with Ron Weasley and had a larger role.

Afshan Azhad took over as Padma and continued to play her for the rest of the films, showing up for Dumbledore’s Army meetings with her sister and conversing with other students after the Battle of Hogwarts. Although Azhad has no other film or TV credits listed, she continued to work in Asia as a presenter for the Asian Media Awards and still travels to comic book conventions. She also made headlines back in 2011, when her father and brother attacked her for dating a Hindu man, which goes against her family’s Muslim tradition.

Harry Could Open Up To Richard Harris Dumbledore

Richard Harris performance had many wonderful qualities. His performance reflected the necessary characteristics needed for the beginning of the series, especially as a positive role model in Harry Potters life.

Richard Harris brings warmth to Dumbledore that we find within the pages of the series. He is kind and nurturing and not only allows Harry Potter to be able to trust him but the viewers as well.

Also Check: How Many Chapters In Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

Are Gandalf And Dumbledore The Same Actor

Few wizards are as beloved as Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings or Professor Dumbledore from the Harry Potter movies, and it turns out that Sir Ian McKellen almost played both. When he died, he played Dumbledore, the wizard.

Also Who is Voldemort actor? Ralph Fiennes portrays Voldemort from Goblet of Fire to Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Is Richard Harris Dumbledore? Sir Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor and singer, who portrayed Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the first two film adaptations of the Harry Potter books.

Who auditioned for Voldemort? 2) Eddie Redmayne as Tom Marvolo Riddle

Yep, Eddie Redmayne once told Empire Magazine that he auditioned to play young Voldemort, Tom Marvolo Riddle. I actually auditioned to play Tom Riddle when I was back at university, Redmayne said.

The Field And Harry Potter

Why Are We Upset About Dumbledore

In June 1989, director cast Harris in the lead role in , written by the esteemed Irish playwright . The lead role of “Bull” McCabe was to be played by former actor . When McAnally died suddenly on 15 June 1989, Harris was offered the McCabe role. The Field was released in 1990 and earned Harris his second . He lost to for .

In 1992, Harris had a supporting role in the film . He had good roles in , and . He played the title role in and had the lead in .

A lifelong supporter of Jesuit education principles, Harris established a friendship with President Rev. J. A. Panuska and raised funds for a scholarship for Irish students established in honour of his brother and manager, Dermot, who had died the previous year of a heart attack. He chaired acting workshops and cast the university’s production of in November 1987.

Over several years in the late 1980s, Harris worked with Irish author on his biography, which was published by in 1990.

Harris appeared in two films which won the . First, as the gunfighter “English Bob” in the second, as the in ‘s . He also played a lead role alongside in the film adaptation of . In 1999, Harris starred in the film . After Gladiator, Harris played the supporting role of in the first two of the films, and as in ‘ film adaptation of . The film was dedicated to him posthumously as he had voiced the character Opaz before his death.

Also Check: Nimbus 2000 Broom

More articles

Popular Articles