J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is likely to be remembered as one of the most beloved fantasy franchises in the history of cinema. With its captivating plotline adapted from the acclaimed novel series of the same name, the films became highly sought-after projects for actors wanting to be a part of the magical journey.
At the outset of the first movie, J.K. Rowling, the author of the series, set a firm rule that no non-British actors would be cast, resulting in many exceptional actors missing out on the opportunity to be part of the franchise. She had very strict rules while casting for Harry Potter.
Daniel Radcliffe Almost Lost His Role Due To J.K. Rowling’s Rules
Radcliffe came close to abandoning his role in the iconic series before eventually committing to it. The casting of Harry Potter was a challenging process, as casting director Janet Hirshenson recalled. J.K. Rowling had specific criteria for the film’s protagonist, including the requirement that he must be British. Moreover, the author emphasized that Harry Potter must have green eyes, making it an essential characteristic for the chosen actor.
“For Harry, to complicate things, I needed a blue or green-eyed kid because part of Harry is his green eyes or blue-green, but they couldn’t be brown eyes, so that was another elimination thing. We said, ‘Oh, drat! He’s great, but he has brown eyes.'”
Daniel Radcliffe’s audition impressed the casting team, and he perfectly matched all of Rowling’s physical requirements for the role. However, before his audition, Radcliffe was on the verge of abandoning his acting aspirations altogether. “He didn’t want to be an actor anymore,” Hirshenson said.
Eventually, the movie’s filmmaker and producer successfully persuaded Radcliffe to join the franchise. Janet Hirshenson, the casting director, shared that David Heyman, the producer, coincidentally encountered Daniel and his father at a theater. It was then that Heyman proposed the idea of auditioning for the role, and after careful consideration, Radcliffe decided to take up the opportunity and give it a try.
J.K. Rowling Rejected Another Popular Actor
During an interview with Huffington Post in 2016, Janet Hirshenson, the casting director of the Harry Potter movies, recounted an intriguing tale involving Robin Williams. She revealed that Williams had expressed a keen desire to be part of the films and had directly approached the director with his interest. Unfortunately, due to the steadfast rule of casting only British actors, Williams’ request to join the movies had to be regretfully declined.
“The ‘only British’ rule was so important that Robin Williams was even turned down to play Hagrid…Robin had called [Columbus] because he really wanted to be in the movie, but it was a British-only edict, and once he said no to Robin, he wasn’t going to say yes to anybody else, that’s for sure. It couldn’t be.”
Following thorough deliberation, the prestigious role of Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies was ultimately bestowed upon the late Robbie Coltrane, who earned universal praise for his remarkable depiction of the cherished character.
Harry Potter movies are available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Huffpost
