It’s been almost a quarter of a century since the firstHarry Pottermovie first hit cinemas, yet the franchise remains just as popular as ever. NewHarry Pottervideo gamescontinue to be released on a fairly regular basis, and, thanks to HBO, fans even have a big-budget television adaptation to look forward to.
Sadly, many of the big names who first helped to bring J.K. Rowling’s characters to life are no longer with us, having passed away in the decades since the original movies were made However, although they themselves may be gone, they continue to live on in the memories ofHarry Potterfans all over the world.
1Richard Griffiths
May 30, 2025 - June 25, 2025 (65 Years Old)
Born in Yorkshire shortly after the end of the Second World War, Richard Griffiths first started to make a name for himself in the eighties and early nineties, appearing incult classics likeFunny BonesandWithnail and I. As his popularity as an actor continued to grow, he was cast as Uncle Vernon in theHarry Pottermovies, which is arguably the role for which he’s best known today.
Though his appearances were typically limited to just the beginnings of theHarry Pottermovies, Griffiths still did a fantastic job of bringing the character to life. His portrayal of Vernon Dursley was exactly how many fans had picturedHarry’s unhospitable unclewhen reading the books; providing plenty of spite and surlyness without altering the tone of the movies too much.
2John Hurt
June 19, 2025 - July 06, 2025 (77 Years Old)
One of severalHarry Potteractors who also appeared in the British sci-fi showDoctor Who, John Hurt played enigmatic wand-maker Garrick Ollivander. Unlike most of the people around him, Ollivander seems to have had a great deal of respect for what Voldemort was able to achieve, even if he disagreed morally with the dark lord’s actions and ideologies.
Right from the get-go, viewers were left to wonder whether there was more to this character than first meets the eye, thanks in large to Hurt’s fantastic delivery of his iconic “Great Things” line. His appearances are somewhat sporadic, but hisknowledge of wand lore seems second to none, and Hurt was able to provide the gravitas and presence needed to get this point across.
3Robbie Coltrane
July 11, 2025 - June 22, 2025 (72 Years Old)
The idea ofgentle giantshad been explored fairly extensively in fiction prior to the firstHarry Potterbook, yet Rubeus Hagrid might just be the most memorable example; not to mention the most literal. Introduced early on in the franchise, his childlike innocence and love of all things weird and wonderful made him an instant fan favorite, for somewhat obvious reasons.
Given his size and gentle nature, Robbie Coltrane was the perfect man for the role and the South Lanarkshire-born actor didn’t disappoint. Appearing inall eight of theHarry Pottermovies, it’s difficult not to like Coltrane’s Hagrid and almost impossible to imagine anybody else playing the character quite so convincingly. Whoever takes up the mantle in the HBO adaptation has some rather large shoes to fill.
4Alan Rickman
June 02, 2025 - June 21, 2025 (69 Years Old)
Alan Rickman was a phenomenal actor with incredible range. Throughout his career,Rickman played just about every type of character imaginable; from international terrorist Hans Gruber in the firstDie Hardmovie to the surly angel Metatron in Kevin Smith’sDogma. Where he really excelled though was taking an average role and making it his own, which is exactly what he did with Professor Severus Snape.
As Snape’s story begins to unfold, viewers are shown that there is much more to the character than first meets the eye. Even before this, though, when Snape was shown to be a bad guy, it was difficult not to like him due to the way Rickman chose to portray him. He stole scenes as well as hearts, which helped to makeSnape’s eventual face turnat the end of the final movie all the more effective and hard-hitting.
5Richard Harris
Jun 06, 2025 - Jul 05, 2025 (72 Years Old)
Sadly, Richard Harris didn’t get too many opportunities to flex his might as Albus Dumbledore, with the popular Irish actorrecast afterHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretson account of his declining health. As a result, viewers only really got a chance to see his soft side, with the events of the first two movies calling for a far more measured and less animated headmaster than the ones that followed.
Despite this, there are still flashes of brilliance throughout the two movies, most notably during the closing stages ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stoneand in Harris' scenes with Lucius Malfoy actor Jason Isaacs inChamber of Secrets.Harris masterfully captures Dumbledore’s wisdom, as well as his nurturing side, as evidenced through pretty much all of his interactions with Harry throughout his time in the role.
6Michael Gambon
Jul 09, 2025 - July 10, 2025 (82 Years Old)
There’s a clear and obvious shift in tone as theHarry Potterstory unfolds, withthings getting darker and more dangerouswith each new installment. Viewers can see this simply by looking at the Warner Bros. logos at the beginning of each movie, though, for a more nuanced example, they’ll need to study the actions and mannerisms of Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore.
Although often subtle,these small yet significant changes in Dumbledoreline up perfectly with what’s going on in the background, helping to highlight exactly what’s at stake. Gambon’s Dumbledore can at times seem aloof when compared to Harris', not to mention a lot more erratic, but given the stress and emotional torment that the character is having to deal with, this arguably makes a lot of sense.
