Jared Harris, son of the original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris, has ruled out playing the role in a new Harry Potter TV series, expressing his appreciation for the existing films and questioning the rationale behind the reboot. The show, already generating controversy, will feature the same characters but with a fresh cast. Casting calls are now open to fill the roles of Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. While Gary Oldman, who portrayed Sirius Black in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling's best-selling novels, has expressed interest in playing Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, one actor who definitively wants no part in the project is Mad Men and Foundation star Harris.
A Legacy of Dumbledore
Dumbledore was portrayed in the first two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by British Oscar winner Richard Harris. The role was recast following his death in October 2002. Michael Gambon, who passed away in September 2023, took on the role in the remaining films.
Harris, in a new interview with The Independent series Go to Bat, was asked if he would be interested in playing Dumbledore in the HBO reboot. His response was a firm “No, thank you.” He added: “Also, I mean, why do it? I don’t understand. The films were fantastic – leave them alone.” However, Harris acknowledged that there was “a lot of storytelling” left out of the film franchise that the TV series could potentially explore.
A Family Legacy and Unfinished Business
In the interview, Harris reminisced about his work on a 2016 documentary about his father's life titled The Ghost of Richard Harris, revealing that the Gladiator actor had “started to write his autobiography in the hospital when he was sick” but then “one of the nurses threw out all of his notes.”
Harris continued: “I don’t know how far he’d got with it. We just wanted something that gave you an idea of who he was and what he was like. You get close to it but it’s not the whole picture at all”.
The Future of the Harry Potter Universe
While Harris has no interest in joining the reboot, the casting process continues. Fans are eagerly anticipating the casting announcements and wondering how the new actors will embody the beloved characters. Whether the new series will live up to the legacy of the original films remains to be seen, but the Harry Potter universe is certainly poised for a resurgence. The recent success of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, despite its mixed reception, suggests a continued audience appetite for the wizarding world. Only time will tell if the new series will capture the magic and wonder of the original films and books.
Beyond Harry Potter: A Look at Harris's Latest Project
Harris can currently be seen in the new film Reawakening, co-starring Juliet Stevenson and Erin Doherty. The drama, written and directed by Virginia Gilbert, follows a married couple confronting old tensions when their daughter reappears years after vanishing as a teenager. Reawakening is currently in cinemas.
