Now that ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ has introduced a young version of Gellert Grindelwald in the form of Johnny Depp, speculation is running wild as to who will play the younger version of Albus Dumbledore. After all, the subsequent battle between these two powerful wizards is one of the most important events in the entire mythos of ‘Harry Potter’. (Also, according to creator J.K. Rowling, Grindelwald was the object of Dumbledore’s affections, something it seems, Dumbledore never recovered from.)
One name that keeps popping up in regard to casting young Dumbledore is Jared Harris, which is natural, as he is the son of Richard Harris, who originated the role of older Dumbledore in the first two ‘Harry Potter’ movies before his passing.
Harris may not be a huge name, but he is easily recognizable having starred as Lane Pryce on ‘Mad Man’, David Robert Jones on ‘Fringe’ and Anderson Dawes on ‘The Expanse’. He also played Professor Moriarty in ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ and appeared in ‘Lincoln’, ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ and most recently, the Brad Pitt thriller ‘Allied’.
So maybe he isn’t a household name, but he’s a very esteemed and accomplished actor and the fact that he is the genetic heir of Richard Harris probably makes him the most logical choice, right?
It doesn’t sound like it, unfortunately. Jared Harris himself actually responded to an inquiry regarding his potential casting and said:
They’re obviously thinking about it. I haven’t heard anything and I don’t expect to. It’s not up to me. Having seen [fan campaigns] before I find that [film bosses] don’t like to have their hands forced. These campaigns almost always go in a different direction.
Unfortunately, Harris is right. Fans don’t make these kinds of decisions and those that do have access to a lot more inside information than the general public. They have certain traits they need for certain roles and for one reason or another, they go with their choices which sometimes seem odd or downright wrong to fans initially. Sometimes these choices work out for the best (Ben Affleck as Batman, for instance) and sometimes they don’t (Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor).
In this case, it would be preferable that Harris brings the right acting skills to the part and not just his genetics.
We’ll have to wait and see who the filmmakers select and we’ll have to wait and see even longer to determine whether they made the right choice or not when we all actually see the next movie.
But for now, what would you think of Jared Harris as young Dumbledore? Is there someone else that you think would work better in the role?
Source: Evening Standard
