Peter O’Toole, left, at the 75th Annual Academy Awards in 2003, and Richard Harris, right, in the role of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter.Photo: getty, courtesy Everett Collection
Chris Columbus, who directed the first twoHarry Potterfilms and produced the third, revealed on Monday thatLawrence of Arabiaactor Peter O’Toole was in final talks to replace Richard Harris in 2004’sPrisoner of Azkabanafter Harris died in 2002.
“It was obviously a crushing blow when Richard Harris passed away,” Columbustold The Wrapon Monday. “I remember an interesting thing because [Azkabandirector] Alfonso [Cuaron] and I met with Peter O’Toole about playing Dumbledore, and he was close except Richard was his best friend and he felt it was intrusive from an acting point of view so he decided not to do it.”
Harris, a two-time Oscar nominee known for roles in 1967’sCamelotandThe Fieldin 1991, among many others, died at 72 in 2002.
His role of the benevolent Hogwarts headmaster ultimately went to Michael Gambon, who portrayed Dumbledore in the rest of theHarry Potterfilms through to 2011’s concludingHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
O’Toole, an eight-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner, died two years later in 2013, at the age of 81.
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TheCloseractor played Dumbledore in the second installment of that series,Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldin 2018.
Law will next appear as the younger Albus inFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which is scheduled to be released in April of next year.
Columbus recentlyhad more to sayabout theHarry Potterfranchise, specifically that he’d happily return to the helm of a new sequel if given the opportunity.
Speaking toThe Hollywood Reporterlast week ahead of the 20th anniversary of his filmHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the 63-year-old director said he would return for a movie adaption ofHarry Potter and the Cursed Childif the stars ever aligned.
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“A version ofCursed Childwith Dan [Radcliffe, who played Harry], Rupert [Grint, in the role of Ron Weasley] and Emma [Watson, as Hermione Granger] at the right age, it’s cinematic bliss. If you’re a film nerd or cinephile, it’s kind of like what J.J. Abrams did withStar Wars…There’s no question if you’re aStar Warsfan, you were moved just seeing them on screen, seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo again — and Chewy,” he said.
“I think that would be the same situation forHarry Potterfans. To able to actually see these adult actors now back in these roles? Oh, yeah. It would be amazingly fun to make that film — or two films,” he added.
source: people.com
