The Harry Potter series is one of the most influential and beloved film franchises in the world. A pop culture phenomenon, the novel and subsequently the film series were all the rage two decades ago, until 2011 when the final film of the franchise was released. The leading trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint gained international stardom because of the series.
One of the most important characters in the Harry Potter world is the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledore. The character was first played by legendary Irish actor Richard Harris in the first two films until his death in 2002. Harris was seen as the perfect actor to play the role of the wise headmaster and mentor to Harry Potter and was beloved by fans. Director Chris Columbus, who cast Richard Harris and directed him in the first two Harry Potter films mentioned that the actor’s granddaughter was a fan of the series, which encouraged him to play the role.
Michael Gambon replaced Harris as Dumbledore from the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. However, he was not the first choice for the character. Here are four actors who were considered to play Dumbledore.
Sir Christopher Lee
The late English actor Sir Christopher Lee was known for his villainous roles, especially that of Count Dracula in the Hammer Productions Dracula film franchise. He also played Frankenstein’s monster in The Curse of Frankenstein and played Count Dooku in the Star Wars franchise. He is best known, however, for playing the wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings franchise. The actor played the role in the LOTR trilogy as well as the prequel The Hobbit trilogy.
With that in mind, the makers of Harry Potter offered the role of Professor Dumbledore to Lee. However, the actor refused the role as he felt that the media speculation about the part after the death of Richard Harris was distasteful.
Sir Sean Connery
The original James Bond Sir Sean Connery was considered for the part of Albus Dumbledore. The actor was offered the role by director Chris Columbus to appear in the first film of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, the Scottish actor refused the offer at the time as he did not understand the hype for the series. He also retired from acting in 2003, after the failure of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Patrick McGoohan
Another secret agent was offered the role of Albus Dumbledore before Richard Harris was cast in the role. Patrick McGoohan, who was known for playing the spy John Drake in the TV show Danger Man, as well as playing Number Six in The Prisoner was considered for the part. However, McGoohan declined the role as he was experiencing health problems at the time. The actor also retired from acting in 2002, the year of Richard Harris’ death.
Sir Ian McKellen
The similarities between Dumbledore and Lord of the Rings Gandalf are uncanny. The two heavily bearded, gown-wearing wizards act as a guiding light and savior for the protagonists of both the series. Hence, it was natural that the producers of Harry Potter turned to Sir Ian McKellan, who had played Gandalf the Grey for the role of Dumbledore after Harris’ Death. However, the actor was not keen on taking up the role as he was loyal to JRR Tolkien’s magical world. He refused the part and the makers cast Michael Gambon.
Source: Irish Examiner
