Why was Dumbledore played by two different actors?

This Thursday, 28th, fans of the “Harry Potter” saga in cinemas said goodbye to Michael Gambon, the interpreter of the character Albus Dumbledore. The actor passed away after an “attack of pneumonia”, as explained by the star’s family to the international press through a statement, which also stated that the death occurred peacefully in the hospital.

Even though he acted in most of the franchise’s films, Gambon was not the only one to bring to life the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is because, before him, another actor played the sorcerer in the first two films, that is, in “The Philosopher’s Stone” and “The Chamber of Secrets”, released in 2001 and 2002, respectively.

Who is he?

The person responsible for the feat was the Irish actor, theater director, singer, composer and writer, Richard Harris. In addition to the first films starring the most beloved little wizard of all time, Harris he was in the cast of films such as “Camelot”, released in 1967, and “Gladiator”, a plot that came out in the 2000s under the direction of Ridley Scott.

Why was Dumbledore played by two different actors?

The six subsequent films in the saga were played by Gambonbecause, before the release of the second feature, Harris He had lymphatic cancer and ended up passing away. Thus, new actors were asked to wear the character’s costumes, ending with Gambon wearing the mantle for the first time in 2004’s “The Prisoner of Azkaban”.

Still, it is worth mentioning that before Gambon, another actor could have won the role. This is because, as explained by the portal Gshow, the producer of the films that adapt the author’s books J.K. RowlingWarner Bros., aimed to cast Ian McKellenthe eternal Magneto, from the “X-Men” film franchise, to play Dumbledore.

However, the actor, who is also widely known for playing Gandalf in the trilogy directed by Peter Jacksonreleased between 2001 and 2003: “The Lord of the Rings”, turned down the role, stating that Harris I wouldn’t be happy having him as the wizard in the saga.

When he died, he played Dumbledore the wizard. I played the real wizard… When they called me and said would I be interested in being in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, they didn’t say what role, but I found out what they were thinking. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t take on the role of an actor who I knew didn’t approve of me”, he explained in an interview with the BBC (via Gshow).