The franchise of Harry Potter seems to be on hiatus at the moment, as the fourth installment of Fantastic Beasts it is not currently under development. However, with such a celebrated story, there is always the possibility that more content will be made in the future.
We can say that few franchises could achieve such a huge success and enormously define the careers of their actors as, instead, the saga of the most famous boy wizard in the world has done. A part, even in just one film, could/could start someone’s career or even stop it. Regardless of all that, in the past, not every actor who has tried to join the cast has made it.
Here are the 10 actors who didn’t get a part in Harry Potter
1. Henry Cavill auditioned for Harry Potter to get a part that will surprise you
Henry Cavill is now a real Hollywood star, which everyone loves thanks to Superman and The Witcher. However, when he was younger and more inexperienced, he auditioned for the role Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. We all know that, ultimately, the part went to the equally beloved Robert Pattinson.
It would have been interesting to see how Cavill could have played the character, since each actor brings something of their own to the performance, just as it would have been interesting to see how this could have changed the course of his career.
2. Saoirse Ronan
Many people don’t know that Saoirse Ronan auditioned for the role of Luna Lovegood at the young age of 13. In an interview with Irish Central, Ronan recalled her disappointment at not getting the part, which instead went to another Irish actress, Evanna Lynch, who, according to fans on reddit, offered one of the best performance.
Playing a part in the franchise of Harry Potter was a dream come true for the actress, but we can say that she made it all the same, considering that she played award-winning roles in lovable remains and Atonement. While Ronan would undoubtedly have offered her version of her character, fans can’t imagine anyone else playing Luna Lovegood other than Evanna Lynch.
3. William Moseley auditioned for the part of Harry Potter
Fans know him as the heroic Peter Pevensie of Chronicles of Narniabut the truth is that, for a while, William Moseley it didn’t go into another iconic fantasy franchise. Moseley auditioned for Harry Potter and he was also one of the favourites, even if, in the end, according to what he himself declared, it was not considered “not up to par”.
It has been said over and over again that Daniel Radcliffe was the perfect Harry, and many fans echo that sentiment. Still, that doesn’t stop everyone from imagining how drastically different the films would have been had another actor been cast to play The Boy Who Lived.
4.Joseph Morgan
Fans may know him as Klaus Mikaelson, one of TV’s best vampires ever, but Joseph Morgan it started way before her portrayal in the Vampire Diaries and The Originals. It seems that evil blood runs in his veins because the actor showed up for the auditions of Harry Potter for the young man’s part Tom Riddle neither The Chamber of Secrets.
Unfortunately he didn’t get the part, but this experience made him want to pursue television and cinema. Everything happens for a reason and Morgan was absolutely destined to play Klaus, so it makes sense that he didn’t get the role that could have changed the course of his career.
5. Thomas Brodie-Sangster auditioned to join the franchise Harry Potter
The little star of Love Actually, Thomas Brodie-Sangsterauditioned for the role of Ron Weasley in the first film of Harry Potter. In an interview she explained how difficult it was to deal with the rejection, so much so that she experienced feelings of anger and disappointment.
While playing Ron Weasley would have been a big move in his career, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Rupert Grint as Ron. Despite this, Brodie has continued to star in popular franchises such as game of Thrones and The Maze Runner and later also appeared in a hit Netflix show, The chess queenso it seems the rejection didn’t stop him.
6. Liam Aiken
Not all fans know that there was a strict rule, imposed by JK Rowling herself, that all actors from Harry Potter they had to be British. Liam Aiken was an exception because he tried to get the part of Harry Potter in person. The actor had worked with director Chris Columbus on a previous project and Columbus felt he was a good fit for the role.
The rule was so strict that they turned down Robin Williams, who really wanted to be in the film. Therefore, having rejected Williams, it was unlikely that they would have changed their mind, especially for an actor who wanted to play the role of the protagonist (this peculiarity was mentioned by the casting director herself, Janet Hirshenson, during an interview). Aiken eventually starred in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.
7. Eddie Redmayne had applied for the part of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter
Although most fans of Harry Potter he was able to admire it in the magical world thanks to the saga of fantastic beasts, many may not know that Eddie Redmayne showed up for the tryouts of Harry Potter to play the young man Tom Riddle (in summary he was a competitor of Joseph Morgan).
Redmayne recalled being such a flop at the audition that he didn’t even get a call. Ultimately, as we well know, the role went to Christian Coulson. At one point he even thought that he might get the part of one of the Weasley family members, but he didn’t play any of them. Despite this, everything still worked out for the best, as Redmayne eventually entered the wizarding world anyway: the role of Newt seems simply meant for him.
8.Jamie Campbell Bower
Most fans will recognize the name of Jamie Campbell Bower from a recent hit series, Stranger Thingsor even for playing young Grindelwald in the franchise Harry Potter. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that, in reality, the actor auditioned for the role of Harry Potter. In a recent interview she recalled that she completely ruined her audition.
You may be wondering how he destroyed his chances of playing Harry. She actually did it all by herself since she told a dirty joke at the audition. All normal, except that Jamie Campbell Bower was a child actor at the time and it wasn’t such a great idea to tell a dirty joke. He remembered the air of silence after saying it and quickly realized he’d missed his chance at him. Nonetheless, his career has still managed to take off and he’s reportedly no longer telling dirty jokes.
9. Jason Isaacs showed up for the tryouts for Harry Potter for a very different part than the one he got in the end
Most people know that Jason Isaacs showed up for the tryouts of Harry Potter for a different role than the one he finally got, that of Lucius Malfoy. In an interview he revealed that he was actually against playing Lucius, due to his wickedness. Actually, Isaacs wanted to step into the shoes of Gilderoy Lockhartthe fraudulent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Despite this, director Chris Columbus saw him and asked him to read for another part. Let’s face it, Isaacs was skeptical about playing yet another villain in a children’s film, but he ended up delivering a few lines from Lucius in the audition as well, and we can tell that, in part, he got the role also because of his disdain for it. . Obviously, he turned out to be one of the best and most powerful villains in the franchise.
10. Jude Law
Before Jude Law was being considered for the part of young Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic animalswas in the running for the role of Gilderoy Lockhart. Though he was very close to getting the part, the creators ultimately decided she was too young for the role.
The role of Lockhart eventually went to Kenneth Branagh, but Law still managed to join the franchise years later and has convinced many skeptics, even if not all fans agree. After all, with a fandom this big, it’s impossible to please everyone.