Want to hear more from the actors and creators of your favorite shows and films? Subscribe to The Cinema Spot on YouTube for all of our upcoming interviews!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Arguably the most important aspect of a hypothetical Harry Potter television reboot is the cast. The cast of this series will be almost entirely responsible for both bringing the world of Harry Potter back to life, and living up to the standards set for them by the original film series.
With that in mind, I will not be casting any of the student / child actor roles. There are a few reasons for this, but my biggest reason is the fact that there is so much undiscovered talent out there in the realm of child actors today. In fact, the most iconic child roles of the 2010s were portrayed by child actors who had never been discovered before. The same goes for the original film series as well; Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were all ages 9-11, and with the exception of a few small roles, none of them had ever hit the limelight. I think that this is incredibly important because we need to have brand new faces to identify with these iconic characters — and I think it’s equally important that we as an audience are able to watch them grow up on screen.
With all of this being said, there is a truly unbelievable amount of talented adult actors and actresses who I think would bring these roles justice. Keep on scrolling to find out who I would love to see bring the Wizarding World to the small screen.
This was an easy one for me, as I have JUST stumbled across Kristofer Hivju this past summer during my six day Game of Thrones binge. I was watching the show for the very first time and I always caught myself laughing at one character in particular — Tormund Giantsbane, Hivju’s character. In GoT, Hivju portrays an outspoken, hilarious, kind-hearted, “rough around the edges” kind of character; and his character reminded me of an extremely vulgar version of Hagrid.
Hivju has many qualities as an actor that pointed me toward casting him as Hagrid: First, he has a unique ability to project his own personality into his roles, which easily establishes him as a lovable / relatable character. Second, he is tall and incredibly hairy, which is obviously a must for Hagrid. Finally, this hypothetical show would be produced by HBO, who are familiar with Hivju’s work and would be able to see the potential he would have to bring something new to another beloved role.
Vernon and Petunia Dursley: Ricky Gervais and Olivia Coleman
It was easy for me to pick an actress to play Aunt Petunia Dursley, because I’ve had my eye on Olivia Coleman for the role ever since her work on The Favourite and season 3 of The Crown. Coleman has striking features, as well as a true sense of creativity which she could use to her advantage in order to create a memorable character. Petunia had a bigger role in the original book series, and with all of the extra time that a TV series would provide for storytelling, I think that Coleman might be able to bring an interesting perspective to Harry’s abusive aunt.
For Uncle Vernon, I had a little bit more trouble. I wanted somebody around Olivia Coleman’s age, and I also wanted somebody who is established in the world of comedy, drama and television. Ricky Gervais is not only an extremely talented and globally famous comedian, but he also has dipped his hand into working in drama as well. In his Netflix series After Life, Gervais stunned audiences with his dramatic and intense portrayal of a man who is contemplating taking his own life. Gervais definitely has a propensity for dramatic acting, as well as the obvious talent he has for comedy – which makes him the perfect choice to play the ever so irritating Uncle Vernon.
Mr. Ollivander: Jeremy Irons
Ollivander is a smaller role who only appears a handful of times throughout the series, and there was nobody else who fit the role better in my mind than Jeremy Irons. Irons is a recent HBO alum, having just premiered the new series Watchmen in 2019, and he is one of the finest actors to grace the small screen. Though Ollivander’s role is a small one, it is very imporant, as he is the character who gives Harry his first wand and also exposes new information to him about himself and his destiny.
I think that Jeremy Irons has a very memorable and significant impact as an actor on viewers. People remember his face and his iconic voice, therefore I believe he is the perfect choice to portray a character who is both essential to the story, while also remaining obscure.
Professor Quirrell: Andrew Scott
Honestly nobody can play an unhinged villain like Andrew Scott can. Scott is most widely known for his role as Moriarty in the popular BBC series Sherlock, as well as his role as the priest in Fleabag.
If you have even seen just one clip of his work in Sherlock, then you probably agreed with me immediately on this choice. He can be both charming AND terrifying, which is perfect for the role of “poor stuttering Professor Quirrell.”
Nearly Headless Nick: Ian McElhinney
I was lucky enough to come across Ian McElhinney while bingeing both GoT and Netflix’s Derry Girls. McElhinney would be fun to watch in this small role, because he has made me laugh repeatedly whenever I’ve seen him onscreen. Nearly Headless Nick is a comedic side character and I think that McElhinney could do really funny and interesting things with this role.
Mr. Filch: Terrence Stamp
Mr. Filch is a fan favorite among fans of the original series. He is the silly, strange and somewhat menacing caretaker at Hogwarts and I believe that the person who could do this role justice, while also providing a new take on the character, would be Terrence Stamp.
Stamp creeped me and several other kids out in his role as the butler in The Haunted Mansion, but he also was able to sneak in a somewhat funny aspect to the ghostly character. Stamp would fit the role of Filch very well, as he has the ability to be both terrifying and funny simultaneously.
23 Comments on “Harry Potter and the Television Reboot: CASTING SEASON ONE”