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The son of the original Dumbledore also says he doesn’t see the need for a ‘Harry Potter’ reboot
MANILA, Philippines – English actor Jared Harris has no plans to take on the role of Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, a part his father, Richard Harris, originally portrayed in the first two films.
In an interview with The Independent published on Wednesday, September 25, Harris was asked if he were interested in reprising the iconic bearded wizard made famous by his father, to which he stated, “No, thank you.”
“Also, I mean, why do it? I don’t understand. The films were fantastic — leave them alone,” he added, expressing his reluctance to revisit the beloved franchise.
While fellow actor Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black in the film series adaptation, expressed interest in playing the Hogwarts headmaster, Harris preferred to distance himself from the TV series, though he acknowledged the potential for it to explore “a lot of storytelling” that was left out of the films.
His father first brought the character of Dumbledore to life in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Following Richard Harris’ death in 2002 at the age of 72, Michael Gambon succeeded him in the role, portraying Dumbledore throughout the remainder of the film franchise. Gambon passed away in September 2023 at the age of 82.
On September 10, HBO launched an open casting call for the lead roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in the upcoming series reboot. The search is open to children aged 9 to 11 who live in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and applicants of all races, ethnicities, and gender identities are encouraged to apply.
The reboot will be helmed by Succession veterans Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner, with Mylod serving as director and Gardiner as writer.
Jared Harris has acting credits in the films Poltergeist, The Quiet Ones, Reawakening, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and Morbius. He has also appeared in TV series such as Chernobyl, The Crown, and Fringe. He currently plays Captain Francis Crozier in The Terror, and Hari Seldon in Foundation. – with reports from Zulaikha Palma/Rappler.com
Zulaikha Palma is a Rappler intern studying AB Journalism at the University of Santo Tomas.
