Derek Deadman As Tom The Innkeeper
The Leaky Cauldron’s chief barkeep Tom went through a sizable transformation between his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and his return for another Diagon Alley moment in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. His hair was all gone, for one thing, and he looked a lot less stout.
The reason is that actor Derek Deadman did not return to the role for film three, and it was filled by Jim Tavare. Though Deadman was an accomplished actor before stepping into the world of witchcraft and wizardry, he largely left the movie scene after the first Harry Potter and only appeared in one film afterwards before passing away in 2014 from complications associated with his diabetes. Although it’s unclear whether Deadman chose to step away from the role, incoming director Alfonso Cuaron did want to darken up the atmosphere in Azkaban and even instructed Tavare to play the role like Igor from Young Frankenstein, which may mean that Deadman’s chipper persona was no longer a good fit.
Richard Harris Turned Down The Harry Potter Movies Three Times
All I knew is that they kept offering me the part and raising the salary every time they called, Harris told Zap2it as reported by The Guardian. I kept turning it down. Anyone involved has to agree to be in the sequels, all of them, and thats not how I wanted to spend the last years of my life, so I said no over and over again.
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So what was it that eventually changed Harris mind? Potterheads can thank the late actors granddaughter for his performance in the first two films. The then 11-year-old happened to be a big fan of the Harry Potter books. When she heard that her grandpa had turned down the opportunity to be in the films, she gave him a pretty intense ultimatum that quickly changed his mind.
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
At the beginning of the third novel, Dumbledore is forced to accept Dementors onto his school’s grounds for the protection of his students from Sirius Black, a supposed murderer and accessory to murder, who had escaped from Azkaban. After Black’s breach into Hogwarts, Dumbledore issues orders to close every entrance to the school and grounds. After Harry falls off his broomstick during a Quidditch match because of the Dementors, Dumbledore becomes uncharacteristically angry with them and uses his wand to cause Harry to levitate safely to the ground. Later in that book, Dumbledore suggests that Hermione use her Ministry-approved Time-Turner to go back three hours to save Buckbeak the hippogriff and Black from their unjust executions.
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Richard Harris: Brings The Kindness That Dumbledore Needs
Albus Dumbledore may be one of the most powerful and skilled wizards who has ever lived, but he is also the headmaster of a school. It’s a well-known fact that Dumbledore is all-powerful, but Richard Harris’s demeanor makes Dumbledore look like someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
He seems like the kind of person who children would meet and have full trust and faith in right off the bat, which works very well for the character, especially in the first two films when Harry is so young.
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.
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Voldemort Killed Snape Who Was Protecting Harry As A Father Even He Has A Sarcastic Character
Voldemort ordered to kill Snape because he thought that he was the master of Elder Wand an immensely strong and powerful wand that Voldemort deeply desired, as well as one of the Deathly Hallows. but in reality, Harry was the master of Elder Wand. After Snapes death, Harry ensured that his portrait must remain in Hogwarts and he honored him as a hero, despite having personal differences. Furthermore, Harry named his son Albus Severus Potter inspiring Snape and Albus Dumbledore who help Harry to kill the evil Voldemort.
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Casting The New Albus Dumbledore For Prisoner Of Azkaban Proved To Be Complicated
According to Alfanso Cuarón, director of the third Potter film, it was tough trying to cast a new Dumbledore. He says that it was particularly difficult for Heyman, since Harris was his godfather.
It happened very soon after I started working on the film, Cuarón says of Harris death. I didnt have the honor of meeting Richard Harris. I arrived and was starting to set myself up in a room at the studio, trying to meet people and the crew, and then we got the sad news. You could see it was a big blow for the whole production, and it was particularly shocking for David Heyman, as Harris was his godfather. There was a long process of mourning. I remember casting agencies calling about possible actors to play Dumbledore and David getting upset and saying were not going to discuss this for a long time. He didnt want to go there, and I respect and admire that.
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Dumbledore Wasnt Really A Hero In Harry Potter In Fact His Selfishness Just Made Harrys Life Harder
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Albus Dumbledore is painted as a powerful hero in Harry Potter, but he has some deep-rooted flaws.
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The Hogwarts headmaster kept secrets from Harry that ultimately led him into grave danger.
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Instead of asking for help from the skilled wizards around him, Dumbledore just did what he wanted.
Professor Albus Dumbledore is hailed as the most brilliant wizard of all time and the only man Lord Voldemort was scared of. But hes no hero in the Harry Potter series.
In fact, he mostly just led Harry into danger on far more occasions than necessary.
On the path to defeating Voldemort, Dumbledore consistently mistreated the people closest to him by selfishly keeping them in the dark.
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.
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Harry Potter Actors Who Have Sadly Passed Away Including The Legendary Alan Rickman
The tenth anniversary of the final Harry Potter film was celebrated by fans this month
The tenth anniversary of the final Harry Potter film was celebrated by fans this month, but some of the actors have sadly passed away since.
The final Harry Potter film – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – was released ten years ago on July 15, 2011 and fans celebrated the milestone this month.
Sadly, some of the actors have passed away either while the films were still being filmed or after the franchise had ended.
Here’s a list of just some of the actors who played beloved Harry Potter characters but have sadly passed away.
Richard Harris: More Faithful To The Books
In the books, Dumbledore is calm, collected, friendly, and intuitive. Richard Harris portrays these traits perfectly he seems trustworthy and he’s always quiet and soft-spoken even when his words are heavy.
Gambon’s Dumbledore, on the other hand, is loud, harsh, and demanding. For instance, when Harry’s name is spat out by the Goblet of Fire, he ruffles Harry and shouts at him. In the books, he asks quietly whether he put his name in, already knowing the answer.
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Dolores Umbridge Was Played By Imelda Staunton
Senior undersecretary to the minister for magic and temporary Hogwarts defense against the dark arts professor, Dolores Umbridge was played by actress Imelda Staunton.
Before joining the Harry Potter cast in Order of the Phoenix, Staunton rose to fame appearing in Much Ado About Nothing alongside Thompson, Sense and Sensibility alongside Thompson and Rickman, and Shakespeare in Love alongside Williams.
The English actress also found success on the stage in West End productions of The Beggars Opera , Guys and Dolls , and Into the Woods .
While filming the remaining Harry Potter movies, Staunton appeared in a few TV series and worked on Alice in Wonderland alongside Bonham Carter and Rickman.
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Camelot A Man Called Horse
Harris next performed the role of King Arthur in the film adaptation of the musical play Camelot . Critic Roger Ebert described the casting of Harris and Vanessa Redgrave as “about the best King Arthur and Queen Guenevere I can imagine”. Harris revived the role in a Broadway revival at the Winter Garden Theatre from 15 November 1981, to 2 January 1982, and broadcast on HBO a year later. Starring Meg Bussert as Guenevere, Richard Muenz as Lancelot and Thor Fields as Tom of Warwick. Harris, who had starred in the film, and Muenz also took the show on tour nationwide.
In The Molly Maguires , he played James McParland, the detective who infiltrates the title organisation, headed by Sean Connery. It was a box office flop. However A Man Called Horse , with Harris in the title role, an 1825 English aristocrat who is captured by Native Americans, was a major success.
He played the title role in the film Cromwell in 1970 opposite Alec Guinness as King Charles I of England. That year British exhibitors voted him the 9th-most popular star at the UK box office.
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Rob Knox Who Briefly Played Marcus Belby Died In 2008
18-year-old Rob Knox died tragically young. Rob, who wrapped filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2008, was stabbed in London outside of a club. He was reportedly trying to protect his 16-year-old brother, Jamie, from a group of men inside the bar. Director David Yates dedicated the film premiere to him, and the cast wore white ribbons on their wrists to pay him tribute.
Gilderoy Lockhart Kenneth Branagh
Its been a long time since Branaghs first and last Harry Potter appearance in 2002s Chamber of Secrets. Since then hes had plenty of acting and directing work in films, as well as starting his own theatre company, the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, where he would be actor and manager for five shows between October 2015 November 2016. His plethora of acting roles include My Week With Marilyn, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and Dunkirk directing credits consisting of Cinderella, Murder on the Orient Express, and 2020s book-to-film adaptation of Artemis Fowl.
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Richard Harris: He Feels Like A Real Teacher
In all fairness, it’s not that difficult to manipulate ten-year-olds. But Richard Harris’s version of Albus seemed like the kind of man who saw what was happening with his students, could sometimes foresee mistakes being made, but who would let those mistakes happen if it provided an opportunity to teach that student a valuable lesson.
Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore feels a little cooler and a little more like someone who kids would be able to relate to, but Harris’s ability to make his relationships in the film really feel like relationships between a teacher and a student is fantastic.
Michael Gambon: He Wasn’t Afraid Of The Role
Given how renowned and skilled an actor Michael Gambon is, his humbleness and ability to underplay his achievements is pretty impressive. Taking over the role of Albus Dumbledore is something that most actors would find intimidating, but when Richard Harris had already successfully played Dumbledore and when it was clear how well the Harry Potter movies were going to do, it was a whole other story.
Even now, though, Gambon seems to feel very comfortable with it. He has said that he basically just stuck on the beard, donned the costume, and went for it, as he has with every other role he’s played.
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Alastor Moody Brendan Gleeson
Gleeson has mostly stayed out of the big spotlight since Mad-Eye Moodys death in Deathly Hallows: Part 1, but hes been consistently busy, with multiple acting projects a year. Some of those projects include starring alongside one of his sons , Domhnall Gleeson in Calvary, and more widely released films such as Edge of Tomorrow, In the Heart of the Sea, and Paddington 2. Hes also set to play Donald Trump in A Higher Loyalty, an adaption of James Comeys book of the same name.
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Richard Griffiths Who Played Vernon Dursley Died In 2013
Richard passed in 2013 after suffering complications from heart surgery. Despite playing a widely despised character, he was well beloved by the cast. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe had actually worked with Richard several times throughout his career and told Entertainment Weekly upon his passing, “I was proud to say I knew him.”
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Why Harry Potter Recast Dumbledore After Chamber Of Secrets
Albus Dumbledore was a major character in the Harry Potter series, but the role went through a recast early in the franchise, and here’s why.
Outside of the young trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Albus Dumbledore served one of the most crucial roles in the Harry Potter franchise – but the character was recast after the second movie. Dumbledore was initially played by Irish actor Richard Harris when J.K. Rowling‘s books were adapted into movies by Warner Bros. Pictures. Following the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore was recast, and here’s why.
When the role of the Hogwarts Headmaster was initially being cast ahead of 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, actors Patrick McGoohan and Sean Connery were targeted for the part. The key role eventually went to Harris, and the actor expected to play the part throughout the entire film franchise. He initially hesitated to take the role due to his health, but Harris was encouraged by his young granddaughter. Harris perfectly embodied the exceptional wizard and Harry’s mentor in the first two installments of the franchise.
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Alan Rickman 1946 To 2016
Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films, died aged 69 from cancer.
His family confirmed that he was “surrounded by family and friends” when he died.
At the time, Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed titular character Harry Potter, wrote that Rickman was one of the greatest actors he will ever work with.
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Why Sir Ian Mckellen Turned Down The Role Of Dumbledore In Harry Potter
There is a part of me that always assumed Sir Ian McKellen took over the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies following the death of Richard Harris, who played the Hogwarts headmaster in the first two films. Of course, McKellen didnt take over the role went to Michael Gambon but it just makes sense, doesnt it? Hes a wizard at playing wizards, after all. The 82-year old grew his fanbase by a million-fold when he joined The Lord of the Rings films as Gandalf back in the early 2000s. He had the perfect look for this sort of role, so you probably wont be surprised to learn that he was indeed approached to play Dumbledore after Harris passed away.
Why didnt he accept? Theres an interesting story behind that. In an interview with the BBC, McKellen said that there was some drama with the late Harris that prevented him from playing Harrys mentor.
Drama, you say?
Why These Harry Potter Actors Were Replaced In The Sequels
The Harry Potter books were a worldwide phenomenon even before J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World hit the big screen. From the moment Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone began production, fans were eager to see how the filmmakers would bring Hogwarts and its characters to life. The movies rose to the challenge, conjuring a class of talented young newcomers, along with some of the most respected thespians of our times.
Most of the central cast got to stick around from start to finish, with many of the child actors even growing up right alongside their characters. However, there were several actors who were replaced along the way throughout the eight-film series as well. In some cases, it was simply a matter of the roles outgrowing their original stars, while some of the other cast replacements were caused by everything from a tragic death to legal troubles to a controversial whitewashing decision. Here are some of the major Harry Potter characters who were ultimately recast between films, and the stories of how these transfigurations came to be.
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