Harry Potteris probably one of the biggest and most interesting franchises in the history of cinema. The series of books was already considered a success in itself, making children and teenagers all over the world eager to read and await with excitement the release of every single volume. Then, a few years later, this success was further consolidated with theHarry Potterfilms, spanning the period from 2001 to 2011. Though it’s been 11 years since the final film was released,Harry Potteris still belovedto this day, and the excitement has continued with the spinoff franchiseFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, stage plays, video games, and even theme parks.
Over the years, many interesting facts about theHarry Potterfilms have emerged, especially from interviews with the cast, crew, and even from books about the franchise, including the fact that Steven Spielberg could have been the saga’s director at one point. In fact, perCollider, Spielberg spent several months working on it before he turned down the job, as his ideas did not match the ones Warner Bros. had in mind, and eventually Chris Columbus was hired to take on the project. This director was not working on his own, he counted on constant collaboration withHarry Potter’s author, ensuring that the films would live up to her story. The author made several production decisions, such as casting exclusively British or Irish actors, perWinter is Coming. In fact, due to this policy, a number of successful contemporary actors were rejected, such as Robin Williams who was interested in Lupin and Hagrid’s parts, Naomi Watts, and Haley Joel Osment, who could have been cast as the Boy Who Lived himself.
Having such a largecast of actorswho worked together for so many years, many even growing up during filming,Harry Potteris a franchise full of curiosities that continue to be revealed today, especially afterthe 20th anniversary specialcommemorating the release ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. In this article, we will revisit ten fun facts about the cast ofHarry Potter.
Related:Harry Potter: Major References to Ancient Mythology
This fun fact shocked many fans of the saga. Brendan Gleeson is the actor who gave life to the cranky Alastor Moody, best known as Mad-Eye Moody. His first appearance in the series was inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when he arrived at Hogwarts to teach. One day, while the movie was being shot, Brendan’s son Domhnall accompanied him to the set, and was able to see first-hand the actors' work. Bearing that in mind, when casting came up to find an actor to play Bill Weasley, Domhnall decided to apply, landing the role of the Weasley’s eldest son.
9Daniel Radcliffe Wore More Than 160 Pairs of Glasses Throughout the Movies
Harry Potter gradually grew up, and his glasses followed him along the way, from the first to the last movie. In fact, along with his scar, they became the most iconic elements of the character. However, while filming, these glasses would often get broken, so the prop department always kept another pair ready for him. Near the end ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’s production, Daniel Radcliffe had already worn more than 160 pairs of glasses.
8Richard Harris Agreed to Play Dumbledore Because His Granddaughter Asked Him
Richard Harris was the actor who brought Dumbledore, the iconic Hogwarts headmaster, to life for the first two movies. Yet, producers had a really hard time convincing him to take on the role: Harris turned down the part three times! He had not read the books, and even though he knew the films would be a hit, he was not interested in taking on a project with so many films. Who changed his mind was his granddaughter, 11 years old at the time, who vowed that she would stop talking to him if he didn’t take the role. Her threat paid off, and the Irish actor delivered an excellent performance in the films. Unfortunately, Harris passed away in 2002, and the role of Dumbledore thereafter was taken over by Michael Gambon.
7Evanna Lynch Crafted Pieces of Jewelry for Luna Lovegood
The story of how Evanna Lynch got to play Luna Lovegood is truly touching and inspiring. She was aHarry Potterfan, and occasionally even exchanged letters with the series' author, in which she expressed her desire to be in the films. Unfortunately, Lynch was struggling with an eating disorder at the time, so the author encouraged her to get well and, once she was feeling better, audition for a role. Needless to say, Lynch delivered: she auditioned for the role of Luna without telling the author, and was selected out of 15,000 applicants. Producers discovered that Luna and Lynch had very similar personalities, so they encouraged the actress to get involved in some of the details, such as accessorizing the character. Indeed, some of the earrings that Luna wore in the movies were handmade by the actress.
6Eddie Redmayne Almost Played Lord Voldemort
Nowadays, it is very hard to detach Eddie Redmayne from the adventurer Newt Scamander, the main character of theFantastic Beastssaga. However, this British actor could have portrayed another character: young Tom Riddle, the wizard who would later become Lord Voldemort himself. When Redmayne was in college, he auditioned for Voldemort, but his performance wasn’t convincing, so he wasn’t called back. Over the years, the actor held out hope that he would be called back for a role, and in 2016, upon the premiere ofFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, his wish finally came true.
Related:Harry Potter: Why Neville Longbottom Deserved A Bigger Role
5Tom Felton Auditioned For Harry Potter and Ron Weasley
While Tom Felton was definitely an excellent casting choice to play Draco Malfoy, the situation could have been very different. Back in the day, Felton auditioned for two roles fairly distant from the one he ended up getting: the roles of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. In fact, when auditioning, the actor admitted that he hadn’t even read the books, and didn’t care much about it either. It was this nonchalant attitude that eventually won the production over and earned him Malfoy’s part.
4Emma Watson Attended Brown University While Filming the Movies
Hermione and Emma Watson have many things in common. As a matter of fact, every director involved in the saga agreed that Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint were closely related to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, respectively. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising for the cast that, by 2009, Watson decided to enroll at Brown University to major in English Literature. For about two years, the actress managed to combine her work on the films with her studies, until the saga ended, and she was able to dedicate herself entirely to her degree until graduating.
3Rupert Grint Suffers from Arachnophobia
It’s no secret that Ron Weasley was unbelievably afraid of spiders. He was completely terrified by them, ever since Fred and George pranked him as a child by turning his teddy bear into a spider. What many people may not know is that Rupert Grint, the actor who portrayed him, is also arachnophobic. In a number of interviews, Grint claimed that this is a crippling fear, stating the need to check his shoes before putting them on, and sheets and pillows before lying in bed because he fears one might show up. For a long time, in fact, he avoided traveling to Australia due to this fear.
2Gary Oldman Taught Daniel Radcliffe to Play the Bass Guitar
LongtimeHarry Potterfans are well aware that Gary Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe got along just as well as their characters. In fact, at the 20th anniversary reunion, they both had a very touching talk about those days, with Radcliffe telling him once again how important he had been to him. However, there is one not so well known fact, and it is that, besides having such a great relationship, Oldman taught a young Radcliffe to play the bass guitar after he discovered the boy’s passion for music. One of the songs he taught him was “Come Together” by the Beatles.
1Alan Rickman Knew Severus Snape’s Secret All Along
This last fact is a classic, but it still puts a smile on fans' faces. When casting actors to play the characters inHarry Potter, producers had a very hard time finding the right person to play Severus Snape. After a long search, they decided that Alan Rickman would be the ideal choice, but he didn’t want to be involved in the project, not wanting to play a villain again. When the author found out about Rickman’s hesitance, she decided to entrust the actor with a crucial piece of information that finally won him over: Severus Snape’s intentions and his tragic but courageous ending. Not only did Rickman accept the offer, but he also took this secret into consideration when building the character, so that at certain moments during the filming, he acted in ways that did not make sense to the directors or the other actors. Letting him in on the secret was a risk that definitely paid off, as Rickman delivered a brilliant performance as Professor Snape.
