Sunday, March 17, 2024

Who Plays Dumbledore In Harry Potter

Don't Miss

Professor Flitwick Warwick Davis

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

Never one to pump the brakes, Warwick Davis is keeping professionally. Hes had roles in multiple Star Wars properties following the release of Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Additionally, Davis still hasnt completely shed Potter from his life. Hes been known to make appearances at various Harry Potter events, most recently at the opening of Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

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.

Related: Harry Potters Bizarre Dumbledore Is Time-Traveling Ron Theory Explained

Dumbledore Wasn’t Really A Hero In ‘harry Potter’ In Fact His Selfishness Just Made Harry’s Life Harder

  • Albus Dumbledore is painted as a powerful hero in “Harry Potter,” but he has some deep-rooted flaws.

  • The Hogwarts headmaster kept secrets from Harry that ultimately led him into grave danger.

  • 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 he’s 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.

Don’t Miss: What Is George Weasley’s Middle Name

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.

Verne Troyer And Warwick Davis As Griphook

Professor Dumbledore  Harry Potter « Celebrity Gossip and ...

Best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies, Verne Troyer also originally played the role of the Gringotts Bank goblin, Griphook, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Although Troyer was shown in the film, his voice was dubbed over by another actor with dwarfism, Warwick Davis. You may remember Davis as the Ewok Wicket from Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi and Willow from the film of the same name. It’s likely that the combination of Troyer’s high-pitched voice and American accent weren’t satisfactory for the vision the filmmakers had of Griphook.

When next we saw Griphook, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Troyer had been replaced by Warwick Davis completely. Up until that point, Davis had actually played another Harry Potter character, Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms master and head of Ravenclaw house. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Davis actually played both roles within the same film, although Professor Flitwick looks significantly younger than he had in the earlier films.

Don’t Miss: Can You Play Lego Harry Potter Online Switch

Rob Knox Who Brought Marcus Belby To The Screen In Harry Potter Tragically Died At Age 18

This death within the Harry Potter film franchise is just tragic: At the young age of 18, actor Rob Knox who played Marcus Belby was fatally stabbed in South East London in 2008. As noted by The Guardian, Knox was killed by 22-year-old Karl Bishop outside a club. Bishop seriously injured four friends who were accompanying Knox at the time, one left with permanent spine damage.

Bishop was sentenced to life in prison for the act, but the tragedy left a huge hole in the Harry Potter world and beyond. Just a handful of days before his death, Knox had wrapped filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the films premiere would later be dedicated to him. The director of the film, David Yates, reflected on Knoxs tragic death. You are surrounded by young people all day long who bring a great commitment to what they do, and Rob was no different, Yates said, as noted by The Guardian. He came in and wanted to do brilliant work, he put his heart and soul into it, and you just think what a terrible waste.’

Staunton Has Continued Her Successful Career On Stage And On The Screen

Staunton went on to appear in Maleficent and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil alongside Davis, and voice a character in Paddington and Paddington 2 alongside Walters and Gambon.

On TV, shes played Karen Edwards on ITVs A Confession, Mary on ITV Hubs Flesh and Blood, and, most recently, Penny on the Apple TV+ series Trying.

Staunton will also be taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth II starting on the fifth season of Netflixs The Crown.

The actress continued working on the stage with West End productions of Sweeney Todd , Good People , There Came a Gypsy Riding , Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and Follies .

She is currently working on the upcoming film The Canterville Ghost and shes set to star in the now-postponed West End production of Hello, Dolly.

Dont Miss: When Is Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Movie Coming Out

Recommended Reading: How Do I Know What Harry Potter House I Am

Richard Harris: He Will Always Be The Original Dumbledore

First impressions count, and Richard Harris certainly leaves a lasting one. True fans can’t help but think of Richard Harris as the “true” or “original” Dumbledore.

He helps to set the tone of the film series, and he establishes Dumbledore as a character, which is no easy task. Richard Harris will always be the first Dumbledore and the one who helps build the world of Hogwarts.

List Of Harry Potter Cast Members

Harry Potter – Richard Harris on Albus Dumbledore

This is a list of Harry Potter cast members who portrayed or voiced characters appearing in the film series. The list below is sorted by film and the character’s surname, as some characters have been portrayed by multiple actors.

Read Also: What Is The Cure For Boils Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery

His Father Was Sentenced To Life In Azkaban

It’s revealed in the seventh “Harry Potter” book that Ariana Dumbledore was attacked by a group of Muggles who saw her practicing magic.

After this event, Albus’ father, Percival Dumbledore, took justice into his own hands and sought revenge on his daughter’s Muggle attackers which was highly condemned by the Ministry of Magic.

Percival worried that revealing the truth of the Muggle attack to the authorities would get Ariana sent away for using underage magic, so instead, he accepted a life sentence in Azkaban prison, where he eventually died.

Michael Gambon: Badass Enough For Dumbledore

One of the things that everyone knows about Dumbledore is that, although he would never use his magic on students and seldom uses his magic in school, he has gone toe-to-toe with the strongest and most dangerous dark wizards in the world.

RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Wisest Quotes From Albus Dumbledore

Michael Gambon makes the audience believe that all of this is true. Dumbledore is an older man now, but Michael Gambon allows the audience to see what kind of fights he must have gotten into as a young man, as well as see that he still has that fighting spirit in him.

Read Also: Why Does Voldemort Look Like That

Felton Went On To Star In Films And On Tv

After Harry Potter wrapped, Felton starred as another villain in Rise of the Planet of the Apes , but most of his work has been in smaller-budget dramas and thrillers.

Felton has also found success on TV. He played Erich Blunt on TNTs Murder in the First, Julian Albert on The CWs The Flash, and Logan on the YouTube original series Origin.

In 2018, he played Laertes in Ophelia, and his most recent acting credit was in Braking for Whales .

Felton recently starred in A Babysitters Guide to Monster Hunting and the Dutch period piece The Forgotten Battle .

Dont Miss: What Does Half Blood Prince Mean In Harry Potter

Early Career At Hogwarts

Jude Law to Play Young Dumbledore in
Dumbledore: “I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and temptation. I was safer at Hogwarts. I think I was a good teacher.
Harry Potter: “You were the best.
A discussion in limbo regarding power and leadership

Shortly thereafter, Albus, who had been exchanging owls with the famous researcher as far back when he had been a student at Hogwarts, travelled to France and spent some time in Paris studying the ancient art and science of alchemy under the tutelage of Nicholas Flamel. He presumably did so in order to both give his brother some space, as well as to get away for a bit and spend his time grieving more productively than he otherwise would have done simply wallowing in his own misery. It is unknown when exactly he returned to Britain, but around the time he did, Albus had become intrigued with the study of dragon’s blood, and was ultimately credited with the discovery of no less than twelve new uses for it ) an accomplishment that earned him widespread recognition and ultimately played no small role in the subsequent offer he received of a teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Having always had a deep fondness for the old school and felt drawn towards teaching even as a student, Albus was happy to accept.

Dumbledore teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts

Dumbledore teaching Newt Scamander, Leta Lestrange and other students the Boggart-Banishing Spell

Read Also: What Pov Is Harry Potter Written In

Ron Weasley And Hermione Granger

Headmaster, you’ve got to stop them. They’ve got the wrong man.
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley regarding Sirius

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his former students

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were Harry Potter‘s best friends and, like Harry, they thought Dumbledore was a great wizard. Dumbledore liked them too, despite that he wasn’t as close to them as he was to Harry.

After his death, he left Ron his Deluminator and Hermione his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. These gifts were proven very useful, as Ron abandoned Harry and Hermione formerly to find his family, and, when he wanted to come back to Harry and Hermione, the Deluminator showed him the way. The trio also read the Tales of Beedle the Bard and learned about the Deathly Hallows. Harry, Ron and Hermione also visited Dumbledore’s portrait, after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Beloved Actor Verne Troyer Who Brought Harry Potters Griphook To Life Died In 2018

Harry Potter features wizards, witches, creatures, elves, mythical animals you name it and one such role within the series is Griphook, a goblin who works at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, played by the legendary actor Verne Troyer. As noted by The Washington Post, Troyer was not only known for playing Griphook, as his performance in Austin Powers also had a major impact on the entertainment industry.

However, Troyers fame and success could not keep him away from harmful habits, and he developed an addiction to alcohol. As you know, Ive battled alcohol addiction in the past, he wrote on social media in 2017 . While its not always been an easy fight, Im willing to continue my fight day by day. On April 21, 2018, Troyer died after being admitted to the hospital for alcohol abuse. His family later shared that he had other battles, including suicidal tendencies and depression an announcement later revealed that he had died from multiple organ failure.

If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP.

Also Check: How To Know What House You Are In Harry Potter

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: He Was Afraid Of The Role But Did It Anyway

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – Focus Points – Aberforth Dumbledore

When the casting process for Harry Potter began, Richard Harris was open about the fact that he was reluctant to even put his name in the running, let alone to take the gig. Harris was an incredibly accomplished actor by the time he was cast in Harry Potter, but he refused the role on three separate occasions before finally agreeing to take it.

Apparently, his granddaughter swooped in and saved the day. She told him that if he turned down the role, she’d never speak to him again, so he finally agreed to play the part.

Read Also: Why Does Voldemort Look Like That

The Real Reason Ian Mckellen Turned Down The Role Of Dumbledore In Harry Potter

Sir Ian McKellen has an acting career spanning over six decades, with prolific roles in numerous films like “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “X-Men” franchise, in addition to countless theatre productions . McKellen is beloved for his portrayal of Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” films, as many die-hard fans believe the English actor perfectly inhabited the character. Sir McKellen had the opportunity to play another famous wizard in the “Harry Potter” franchise, but he turned down the role for a very specific, and unexpected, reason .

In the first two films of the “Harry Potter” series, another British acting giant played Professor Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter’s powerful headmaster at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Richard Harris had originally taken up the mantle to much acclaim before he unfortunately succumbed to Hodgkin’s disease in 2002 . After Harris died, producers wanted to ensure that the next actor to portray Dumbledore was capable of doing so with the same level of renown. They approached McKellen about the part, but the actor decided to turn them down for this reason.

Nymphadora Tonks Natalia Tena

Tonks may have been sidelined in the Harry Potter films more than we would have liked, but Natalia Tena did a wonderful job with what she had. Her talents did not go to waste, as she moved on to star in another hugely popular fantasy series, Game of Thrones. Tena also co-starred in Origins alongside a fellow Harry Potter cast member, Tom Felton. Unfortunately, Youtube did not pick up the show for a second season. Most recently she joined yet another massive franchise, having appeared in an episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+.

Read Also: Where Are Harry Potter Movies Streaming

Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone

1. Harry and Draco were totally a thing. While playing Fact or Fanfiction with AOL, Tom Felton revealed that Harry might have had a thing for Draco. I think it was clearly a fact, he told AOL. Harry was constantly crushing on Draco. He just couldnt hide it. So for all you Drarry shippers, looks like youve been right all along.

2. The kids in the cast had to get casts of their teeth made. Daniel Radcliffe revealed in a new interview, that the younger kids had to get casts of their teeth made so they could get a fake tooth put in case they lost one while shooting. Cause youve got a set full of twenty 10-year-olds they would cast everyones mouths.

Steve Buscemi, Daniel Radcliffe and Karan Soni star in Miracle Workers a comedy set in the offices of Heaven Inc. #THRSundance

The Hollywood Reporter

3. Emma Watson might not have gotten the role of Hermione had it been up to her. The casting team held auditions at elementary schools all across Britain to find their Hermione, but when they got to Emmas school, she had no desire to audition . It was Emmas teacher who convinced her to audition, and she ended up being the last girl that day. To think she got the role after that!

4. The scenes at 4 Privet Drive were originally shot on an actual street with real houses. They shot in a real house in a community called Picket Post Close. But they ended up having to build identical model houses because they didnt have access to the house for reshoots.

More articles

Popular Articles