14 Actors Who Almost Made the Final Cast of “Harry Potter”

When we watch a film, and especially when the film belongs to a long saga, it is always very difficult to imagine the story with other actors. For example, have you ever imagined the trilogy of Lord of the Rings without Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom or Ian McKellen? The simple exercise of imagination already seems strange. But don’t think that choosing the cast for the big cinematographic super-productions is an easy task. Producers and directors always have to choose between different possibilities and some roles don’t always go with the first option.

Today the awesome.club brings you 14 actors (plus the bonus) who were considered to participate in the saga Harry Potter before the final cast.

Severus Snape is a key character in the saga Harry Potter, and there are rare people who end up not liking him in the end. As he appears from beginning to end of the story, it is difficult to imagine him today with another face, but originally the role was intended for Tim Roth. However, the actor turned down the offer because he said he wasn’t ready to work on the project.

Before Emma Watson, the chosen one to play the nerdy witch and Harry Potter’s best friend was Hatty Jones, who plays Madeline in the 1998 film of the same name. The producers thought that Hatty was a good choice for the role of Hermione, but later they saw that she was already a little too old for the role, and so they chose Emma Watson.

The initial idea was that the role of Draco Malfoy’s mother would be played by English actress Naomi Watts. Although she is not a protagonist character, her role is important for the development of the story. However, the actress turned down the job because her agent decided it wasn’t a good idea.

Ray Winstone had been chosen for the role of Alastor Moody. However, the actor himself revealed that working in films is a way to earn a living, and for him the saga Harry Potter it wasn’t as profitable for the time he was supposed to invest.

Kate Winslet, Academy Award winner and world-renowned for her role in Titanic, had been thought of for the role of the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw, who although not a protagonist, has an important role in the destruction of Voldemort. However, the actress did not participate in the saga, because her agent simply refused the offer.

Despite Gilderoy Lockhart being a faker, we cannot deny that he is an important character and that he adds a touch of fun to the second film in the saga. Chris Columbus thought of Hugh Grant for the role, but the actor turned the offer down because he already had other film work started.

Actress Rosamund Pike accepted the offer to play Rita Skeeter, a journalist who loves gossip and intrigue and who appears for the first time in the fourth film of the saga. However, when she found out that she too would have to work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and that the role would be small, he turned down the offer. The chosen one for the role was Miranda Richardson.

Actress Rosie O’Donnell was very interested in the role of Ron Weasley’s mother, but she was turned down because she is not English. The same happened with other actors who were willing to give life to the characters in the saga and were rejected at the request of the writer of the books, who insisted that the actors in the films be British.

The role of Professor Sybil Trelawney, quite important in the story, was offered to Tilda Swinton. The actress refused the offer and claimed lack of time, but later confessed that in reality she was not a fan of the saga.

When recordings of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets there was a rumor that Richard E. Grant would play Draco Malfoy’s father. The story was never confirmed and when the actor was asked about it, he commented that he was not aware of anything.

Actor David Thewlis was very interested in working on the saga. Harry Potter and auditioned to play Professor Quirrell. Although chosen for the role was Ian Hart, David was chosen for the role of Remus Lupine, another professor at Hogwarts.

It is said that the producers of the saga were interested in Robin Williams for the role of Rubeus Hagrid, faithful friend of Harry Potter. As expected, the negative response came from J. K. Rowling, who considered it very important that all characters were played by British actors.

For Harry Potter’s handsome and talented rival in the Triwizard Tournament, the initial idea was Henry Cavill. After much consideration, the producers came to the conclusion that Robert Pattinson was the best choice. Interestingly, Henry was also one of the first options to play the protagonist of the saga. Twilight, and once again the role went to Robert Pattinson.

It is very difficult to think of another protagonist for the saga, but the original idea was that the role played by Daniel Radcliffe would be Liam Aiken. However, as in other cases we saw above, he was refused, because he was not British.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not part of the original saga, but belongs to the universe Harry Potter. The film’s protagonist, Newt Scamander, was to be played by Nicholas Hoult, but ended up staying with Eddie Redmayne by choice of the film’s director.

Can you imagine Harry Potter with these other actors? Do you think the saga would have been the same? Share your opinion in the comments.