Hey guys,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
In this video, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different than usual.
Rather than deep diving in to the rich lore of Harry Potter, I’m going to instead be
taking a look at the casting decisions made for the Harry Potter films.
Now, I thought that the casting in Harry Potter was great- across pretty much all of the films,
for pretty much all of the roles.
There wasn’t a single role where I felt that that the actor themself took away from
the character- however there were of course some instances in which the film portrayal
of the character didn’t exactly fit with the book.
I.e Bonnie Wright with Ginnie.
And while I think that the Harry Potter films did a fantastic job overall, I can’t quite
say the same for the Fantastic Beasts films, at least the ones we’ve had so far- they
weren’t bad, but definitely not as good as Harry Potter.
Even the characters that we hate, like Umbridge, were cast exceptionally well- Imelda Staunton
was the perfect Umbridge.
But, like with any film, casting is a huge part of the film-creation process, and so
it only makes sense that many many other actors were nearly cast in these roles.
In this video, we’re going to be taking a closer look at some of the actors that were
ever so close to being cast in some of the roles.
Some didn’t get the role because they were beat out by someone who was just a better
fit, and others weren’t able to accept the role due to things like scheduling conflicts.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the actors that could have been.
1.
Hugh Grant
The first actor that we’re going to be looking at is British romcom heartthrob Hugh Grant.
Grant is predominantly known for his comedic performance in romantic comedies, but in more
recent years seems to have branched out a little bit- perhaps in fear of being labelled
a one-trick pony.
Grant was originally cast as, you guessed it, wizarding heartthrob Gilderoy Lockhart
- five time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award.
The role of Lockhart required an actor that was able to effectively convey the painfully
‘cheesey’ and simultaneously ‘egotistical’ nature of the character- and Grant does ‘cheese’
well.
Lockhart was of course Harry’s Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor in the Chamber of
Secrets - and his character exudes an unusual mixture of charming and despicable.
The role of course eventually went to Kenneth Branagh, but this was actually only because
Grant turned the role down.
Grant was in the middle of filming some other things, and it just didn’t work out with
his schedule.
Fortunately, however, Branagh did an excellent job, though I’m sure Grant would have done
well in the role as well.
2.
Ian Mckellen
Gandalf, is that you?
Yes, that’s right, Sir Ian Mckellen, famously known as the powerful wizard Gandalf in the
Lord of the Rings, and Magneto in X-men, was actually considered as a frontrunner for Dumbledore.
As we know, Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore (who was only in the first two films) passed
away before the film series could be completed.
This meant that one of the largest roles in the film franchise suddenly became vacant,
and it only seems fitting that Warner Bros would want to cast someone very experienced.
Ian Mckellen is an incredibly versatile actor, and given that he is already an accomplished
on-screen wizard, it made sense that he would be considered for Dumbledore.
Interestingly enough, Richard Harris, who originally played Dumbledore, did not think
particularly highly of Mckellen’s acting capabilities, and once publicly expressed
that he thought that Mckellen was “brilliant but passionless."
I’m not sure if this had any bearing in casting, but the role was eventually given
to Michael Gambon - who absolutely crushed it.
Gambon is an irish-born british actor who trained under Laurence Olivier himself, and
has an extremely impressive acting resume under his belt.
He performed exceptionally in the role, and I honestly think that he did a better job
than Mckellen would have done- even though Mckellen is a great actor.
3.
Tim Roth
Actor Tim Roth is known for his roles in popular films like Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The
Hit, and many many more.
He’s an English actor with quite a diverse acting background- and with his years of experience
I feel as though he’s the kind of actor that could take on any sort of role.
However, the role that Roth was originally supposed to take on was none other than Potions
Professor Severus Snape.
The role of Severus Snape was of course later filled by actor Alan Rickman, who portrayed
Snape in a way that I don’t think any other actor could.
Of all of the casting in Harry Potter, I think that Snape may have been the best.
When I saw his character on-screen, I didn’t think, “oh that’s Alan Rickman”, I just
thought “That’s Snape’ - which, if you consider the fact that Rickman was already
quite famous, is quite an impressive feat.
He completely submerged himself in to the role, and I can’t even begin to imagine
anyone else being Snape.
Though I’m sure Roth could have given it a go- it couldn’t have worked out better
that he had to turn the role down.
Roth was first in line, but dropped out so that he could film Tim Burton’s Planet of
the Apes.
4.
Tilda Swinton
Matilda or Tilda Swinton is a Scottish actress known for her roles in both independent arthouse
films and blockbusters.
Over the course of her career, she’s been cast in a very diverse array of roles, and
I personally felt that she was particularly good in the role of the White Witch in the
Chronicles of Narnia.
In whatever film I see her in, she always has a lot of screen presence, and with her
Scottish background, I’m sure she would have slotted in perfectly with the Harry Potter
set.
Swinton was originally considered for the role of Professor Trelawney, the quirky, unusual,
and perhaps sometimes deluded Divination Professor.
The role of Trelawney was of course eventually given to actress Emma Thompson, who did an
exceptional job, but I honestly feel as though Swinton would have done a pretty good job
here as well.
Swinton was offered the role before Thompson, but had to turn it down due to scheduling
conflicts.
5.
Robin Williams
The late Robin Williams was an exceptional actor- he had an extremely impressive acting
resume, and over the course of his career was always able to effectively portray whatever
was asked of him.
His ability to convey emotion on-screen was a true testament to his acting capabilities
and charisma.
In addition to being a popular stand-up comic, Williams also had impressive improvisational
skills, and is perhaps best known for his roles in films like Dead Poet’s Society,
Good Will Hunting, and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Williams was initially considered for the role of Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid,
and was actually the first choice of Warner Brothers, however, the role was eventually
extended to actor Robbie Coltrane, as Rowling wanted to preserve an all-british cast.
Coltrane did an exceptional job at portraying the gentle magical half-giant, and once again,
I feel as though he was the perfect casting decision.
However, I can’t help but wonder what Williams would have been like in the role .
6.
Bob Hoskins
The late Bob Hoskins was an English Actor best known for portraying tough-guys, gangsters,
and working class gentlemen.
One of his most well-known roles was ‘Eddie Valliant’ in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’,
an iconic live-action animated-comedy released in 1988.
Hoskins was initially considered for the role of Potions Professor Horace Slughorn - the
eccentric teacher that had a knack for ‘collecting’ his students.
Hoskins lost out on the role to English actor Jim Broadbent, who (I know I keep saying this)
was perfect in the role.
Though I feel that Hoskins would have given us quite a different representation of Slughorn,
I think he would have still done well in the role.
In spite of Hoskins being turned down for the role of Slughorn, it has been reported
that Rowling wanted Hoskins in the film so badly that she even considered writing a role
for him in the 7th book.
7.
JK Rowling
JK Rowling - have you heard the name before?
Though Rowling is certainly not an actress, she was originally considered for the role
of Harry’s mother in the Philosopher’s Stone- which could have perhaps been a nice
cameo.
I think that, of all of the roles, Lily Potter would have been the perfect role for her to
slot herself in to had she wanted to enter the film.
However, Rowling and the casting directors eventually decided that it would be best that
they go with someone else.
Though it’s not a particularly large role, actress Geraldine Sommerville, who eventually
went on to assume the role, did a good job.
And that’s it for this video!
Did you guys know about all of these potential casting decisions?
Do you think that any of these actors would have been BETTER in the role than the actors
that were cast?
Let me know down in the comment section below
UNTIL NEXT TIME
YER A WIZARD ARRY