Every Harry Potter fan loves the relationship that Harry has with Albus Dumbledore, the principle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Principal was Harry’s guide and teacher. The two shared a great trust. Dumbledore inspired not just respect, but also trust. On screen, the character was played by two actors. And now with the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them being announced (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) we get a younger version of the principal who we have only known as a senior citizen. But it wasn’t just one actor who has played the character. Here’s who has played the character in the Potter universe...
Richard Harris
Richard Harris, who played King Arthur came into focus as the headmaster when he featured in the first Harry Potter movie. The actor passed away in 2002 at the age of 72. He was suffering from lymphatic cancer. He starred in two Harry Potter films: the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). His portrayal of the headmaster was pretty close to the character that JK Rowling wrote in her books.
Michael Gambon
Post Harris, Gambon took over. Not everybody agreed with the way he chose to play the character. However, Gambon had his own style and interpreted the character in a different manner. Gambon never read the books, not even after playing the character. He accepted the role because his granddaughter was a fan and begged him to do it.
Jude Law
The recently-unveiled poster of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald featured Law as the Hogwarts headmaster, and fans went crazy. Speaking about why Law was selected for the role, Harry Potter producer David Heyman, said, “Jude has many of the qualities we find in Dumbledore in the Potter films. He’s got authority, he’s got a twinkle in his eye, he’s sometimes a bit elliptical. So you have that but also have this youthful energy and jubilance. You understand why he would be your favourite teacher and be someone you believe is an extraordinary wizard.”
