When any given book series becomes a success, turning it into a film series can either make or break the franchise. In the case of Harry Potter, the films only helped the series grow in popularity, allowing room for the Fantastic Beasts spinoff films, television specials such as Return To Hogwarts, and even an upcoming HBO television series.
Part of the reason that the films were such a huge success was because of the near-perfect casting which brought the characters to life on screen. However, while most of the actors were perfect, there were a few that fell short of the roles, leaving fans to wonder what could have been with other actors.
10 Robert Pattinson Wasn’t Enthusiastic About His Role
Most actors would have given anything to play the role of Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise, yet the role fell to Robert Pattinson, who was unenthusiastic at best. Robert hadn’t even read the Harry Potter books until he was offered the audition for Cedric, during which time he only read them to learn whether he was capable of playing the role. As the main Hufflepuff in the book, Cedric Diggory’s character should have been memorable as the representative of his house. However, the only really memorable Cedric scene as portrayed by Robert Pattinson was his death.
9 Kenneth Branagh Shone As Gilderoy Lockhart
Kenneth Branagh played the role of Gilderoy Lockhart perfectly, bringing the character to life in all of his self-obsessed mannerisms. As such a selfish character, it became Kenneth’s mission to steal the spotlight in every scene that he was in, making everything about him. He did so time and time again, never missing his mark. Whether gliding extravagantly into a room, making a grand speech that rolled off the tongue, or even just pausing to admire a portrait of himself, Kenneth made sure that the audience wasn’t watching Harry Potter; they were watching the Gilderoy Lockhart show, where he was the one and only star.
8 Natalia Tena Didn’t Have Time To Develop Tonks
When most fans think of Nymphadora Tonks, they remember a character who is clumsy, eager to prove herself as the youngest member of the Order of the Phoenix, and stubbornly in love with Remus Lupin. While Natalia Tena was eager enough to play the role of Tonks, falling in love with the character after she was offered the role, she had little screen time to bring Tonks to life. In the few scenes that Natalia was in, she was monotone and a little bland. With more screentime to develop this character, Natalia might have offered a better role of the beloved character.
7 Imelda Staunton Made Umbridge Sweet And Terrifying Simultaneously
When most people think of villains, they think of cutthroats or nightmare-inducing fearmongers, but Dolores Umbridge isn’t like that at all. She’s a unique character, using her aesthetic of a cat-obsessed older lady bedecked in pink to win over the people who will give her positions of higher power until she’s the one in charge. As such, Imelda Staunton had to walk the very fine line between a sweet old lady and heartless monster. She merged the dueling personalities perfectly in Umbridge’s actions, with a singsong voice, tight smile, and rigid stance, all the while revealing grim satisfaction at the misfortune of the other characters around her.
6 Clémence Poésy Lacked Screentime As Fleur Delacour
As another actor that wasn’t given much screentime, Clémence Poésy struggled to bring Fleur Delacour to life. The part-veela character won the hearts of most of the male characters in the books, yet longed to be valued for more than her looks, leading her to fall in love with Bill Weasley.
Yet, under the scope of the films, while Clémence Poésy was stunning, she was limited to being “that one French student from Beauxbatons.” Had she been given more time to shine, there is little doubt that she would have portrayed Fleur Delacour wonderfully.
5 Jason Isaacs Was The Master Of Improvisation
Not only did Jason Isaacs perfectly encapsulate the icy cold persona of Lucius Malfoy, bringing with him a feeling of unjust superiority, he also improved the character, making him even more sinister. Improvising various character mannerisms and lines, Jason Isaacs proved that he was a master of his craft, acting long after scenes were over to get the best result. After Harry freed Dobby in the Chamber of Secrets, Jason famously improvised, yelling the beginning of the killing curse instead of the spell he was supposed to cast; using such a serious spell over the trivial matter made Lucius Malfoy all the more sinister.
4 Bonnie Wright Suffered From Bad Writing
Aesthetically, Bonnie Wright is Ginny Weasley. She looks and sounds the part, fitting in with the rest of the cast among the Weasley family. However, due to a bad transition from books to scriptwriting, Bonnie never got the chance to play sassy Ginny Weasley who could keep up with and sometimes even outpace her troublesome brothers Fred and George. Instead, she was left in the drab role of Harry’s love interest with little dimension to the character beyond that. Had the scripting been better, perhaps Bonnie Wright could have given the audience the Ginny Weasley they deserved.
3 Helena Bonham Carter Was Madness Personified As Bellatrix LeStrange
Loud, unpredictable, and insane, Bellatrix LeStrange couldn’t have been played by anyone other than Helena Bonham Carter, who stole the show in every precious second of the little screentime she had. Other actors may have depicted a little bit of madness, but Helena was pure insanity personified. Many of her scenes with Emma Watson were improvised, such as the disturbing torture scene in Malfoy Manor. In that scene, Helena got up close and personal with Emma, really giving the audience a taste of fear.
One of Helena’s most memorable scenes was when she was playing Hermione who, with the use of Polyjuice potion, had transformed into Bellatrix and was invading Gringotts Wizard Bank. In that scene, she wasn’t playing her character; she was playing Emma’s character masquerading as her character. It was a complicated role to play, but she flawlessly depicted how Hermione would act if pretending to be the entitled and overly-confident madwoman, Bellatrix.
2 Michael Gambon Recreated Dumbledore
Richard Harris was the original actor for Albus Dumbledore, playing the role for the first two films. During that time, he showed himself to be the best man for the job. He looked the part and sounded it with his soothing, wise tone of voice. He was the vision of grace and wonder, with the slightest hint of mischief in his eyes that Dumbledore was known for in the books.
Michael Gambon succeded Richard Harris, taking over the role after Richard’s death. Although he was a fine Dumbledore, the two actors had different visions for the character, and Michael played the role more seriously. He often gave the impression that Dumbledore had multiple backup plans, leaving behind the comforting, grandfatherly aspect of the character. While there is nothing wrong with the manner in which Gambon played the role, things simply weren’t the same after the audience had their first taste of the original Dumbledore.
1 Dame Maggie Smith Is McGonagall
While the majority of actors nailed their roles, none did it better than Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall. She had to be stern but sassy, old and wizened, yet quick and powerful all at the same time. Maggie Smith had to depict an authority figure who was both strict enough to be revered and warm enough to be relied on, creating a safe space for her students. Few other actors could have balanced such a fine line, and of those few, none would have come close to giving the performance as well as Maggie Smith did.
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