Dumbledore is one of the promiscuous characters of the Harry Potter franchise. The character has been an integral part of all the 8 movies of the franchise. However, two different actors have played the part.
The original Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two Harry Potter movies before his death in 2002. In later films, Michael Gambon took over the role but there was a twist. Gambon got the role because Ian McKellen turned down the offer.
Ian McKellen Turned Down The Dumbledore Role
The role of Dumbledore was quite significant to the franchise. After declining three times, Richard Harris finally agreed to the part after his granddaughter convinced the actor to play the beloved character. However, his death created a void and the producers had to look for the best suitable actor for the role.
Several actors including Sean Connery, Patrick McGoohan, Christopher Lee, and Harry Robinson were on the card for the role but Ian McKellen was perhaps on the top of the ladder to play Hogwarts headmaster. However, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit star rejected the offer and refused to carry the legacy of Harris and the character.
There was an old beef between the X-Men star and Harris. Earlier, McKellen revealed that the rift between the stars started when Harris called out McKellen and his fellow actors Derek Jacobi and Kenneth to brand their acting as “technically brilliant, but passionless” (via Mirror). McKellen did not agree with Harris’ criticism and called it “nonsense” and following his death, McKellen was not comfortable following the actor’s established character. “I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me,” McKellen said. When McKellen declined the role, Michael Gambon got to wear the magic hat and he played the character with utmost care and fans loved it.
Michael Gambon Played Dumbledore With Ease
Certainly, McKellen’s lack of interest in the iconic role secured Gambon to play the character in the last six of eight Harry Potter movies. The Irish-British actor debuted in the franchise with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004. Fans and critics have hailed the actor and his splendid reflection of J. K. Rowling’s character from the book. However, it was not too difficult for the actor. Speaking with Future Movies, the actor once revealed that it was quite effortless.
“Well, I don’t have to play anyone really. I just stick on a beard and play me, so it’s no great feat. I never ease into a role – every part I play is just a variant of my own personality. I’m not really a character actor at all,” Gambon said.
Gambon left the Potterheads in tears as his family announced the death of the actor in September 2023. “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia,” Gambon’s family announced (via Mirror). The actor was 82 at the time of his death.
Also read: Michael Gambon, Best Known for Playing Dumbledore in Harry Potter, Passes Away at 82
Source: Mirror, Future Movies.
