Witches, wizards and muggles: characters brought to life on-screen by a host of talented British and Irish stars. These ladies and gentlemen have ensured that the eight films in the franchise will be remembered for a long time. Their success has also meant a boost for the film industry during recent years. This article, the third in a series, looks at some of the actors who have worked their magic on the Harry Potter movies. The first part of this article can be found here and the second part is here.
Emma Thompson As Sybil Trelawney
Popular actress Emma Thompson was a member of the Cambridge Footlights at University along with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. She married the actor Kenneth Branagh (who plays Professor Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and starred alongside him in Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. She has also appeared in Howard’s End, In the Name of the Father, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually and Nanny McPhee. Thompson plays the odd Professor Sybil Trelawney in Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Brendan Gleeson As Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody
Dublin-born Brendan Gleeson has appeared in many well-known films including Braveheart, 28 Days Later, Gangs of New York, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Beowulf and In Bruges. He stars as Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody in Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Ralph Fiennes As Lord Voldemort
Ralph Fiennes has given many memorable performances in dramas such as Schindler’s List, The English Patient, The Constant Gardener and The Reader. He plays the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, an evil man who goes by many names: You-Know-Who, The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Tom Riddle, Voldemort. He appears in Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2.
Helena Bonham Carter As Bellatrix Lestrange
One of the UK’s most successful actresses, Helena Bonham Carter first appeared in A Room with a View, then the likes of Hamlet and Howard’s End, before turning to U.S. movies like Fight Club and Planet of the Apes. She has starred in many films directed by her partner Tim Burton including Big Fish, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Alice in Wonderland. She plays Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2.
Imelda Staunton As Dolores Umbridge
British actress Imelda Staunton has appeared in many TV shows, as well as the films Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare In Love, Nanny McPhee and the lead role in Vera Drake. She plays the devious Dolores Umbridge in Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Jim Broadbent As Horace Slughorn
British character actor Jim Broadbent has had roles in Moulin Rouge!, Iris, Gangs of New York, Hot Fuzz and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He stars as Horace Slughorn in Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Bill Nighy As Rufus Scrimgeour
Bill Nighy has given us many enjoyable performances in the films Love Actually, Underworld, Shaun of the Dead, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and The Boat That Rocked. He plays the Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, in Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and was quoted as saying: "I am no longer the only English actor not to be in Harry Potter and I am very pleased."
Rhys Ifans As Xenophilius Lovegood
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has appeared in a number of films including Notting Hill, Little Nicky, Hannibal Rising, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Boat That Rocked, Enduring Love and Mr. Nice. He plays Luna’s father, Xenophilius Lovegood, in Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
All-Star Cast
According to Thom Geier, of Popwatch: “The Harry Potter films have effectively become an all-star summer stock for British talent. Seldom has so much acting firepower been assembled in a single film – or series of films...We’ve seen Emma Thompson (five Oscar noms and two wins), Kenneth Branagh (four Oscar noms, including one for directing), Julie Walters (two Oscar noms), Irishman Richard Harris (two noms), Ralph Fiennes (two noms), Helena Bonham Carter (one nom), and Imelda Staunton (one nom).”
Even more popular and successful actors and actresses have played smaller roles in the films or made cameo appearances, not to mention a whole host of talented up-and-coming youngsters who have grown and improved while making them. The eight Harry Potter movies are a real success story for British film.
Sources
- CBBC Newsround, Bill Nighy to star in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, CBBC Newsround - Showbiz, 2009.
- Thom Geier, 'Harry Potter' films: Home to great British actors, Popwatch, 2009.
Emma Hutchings - Film Studies graduate, freelance writer, movie reviewer & blogger who writes for PSFK, Flickering Myth, Flickfeast & Suspend Your ...
Join the Conversation