Michael Gambon was amazing at the human side of Dumbledore we get to see in the later books. Richard Harris, however, mastered the mysticism of early Dumbledore... the guy had a, I don't know how to say it, a prowess, even a regality or nobility about him, that spoke to how ancient the magical world was. It just seemed so big and mysterious at that point... your breath was taken away by the beauty of even little things like the lamp lights on Privet Drive winking out one by one. Later, we got used to seeing magic, and they kept upping the stakes with gorgeous shit like the Dumbledore v. Voldemort duel at the end of Phoenix. Michael's portrayal lost the mystery, and -- there's the word -- awe you got from Richard's performance. But it gained the heart. How could Richard Harris have defied being arrested by Cornelius Fudge in his office with the same flair Gambon did? And how could he have been the crying Dumbledore at the unending bowl of sadness in Half-Blood Prince?
We're lucky we got both, I think! Neither would have been perfect for Dumbledore's whole arc.
Sometimes I wish we could just mash them together… but then we’d get Ian McKellen😅😅
Edit: I just read the VF article another redditor posted and now I’m extra bummed we never got this.
I agree with you totally stealing the show but since Jude Law is the best thing about the Fantastic Beasts movies I’m not sure I would mind??? Idk I’m torn
Me too! I think it would have given the movies even more magic. But really at the end of the day, it may have taken away from Harry's experience I think. You wouldn't have been able to take your eyes off of Ian XD and maybe you'd forget you were a little kid who was experiencing magic for the first time
I would have loved Colin Farrell to stay as grindelwald. He’s amazing in the first movie ans feels both charismatic and dangerous. Johnny depp is just a clown that farts in a big hat and mads is just Jeremy irons on quaaludes.
Is it about how he was offered the roll but denied it since Richard Harris hated him and it seemed disrespectful? (I don't see it and don't click links, I'm genuinely curious.)
I also loved Michael Gambon as dumbledore! He had a certain amount of power that I didn't get from Richard Harris, especially in the ministry of magic where he fought voldemort, I can't imagine Richard Harris having the power to do that. The moment in the book gives me chills when Harry sees dumbledore in the doorway and running down the steps at the ministry and instantly harry knew they were safe 🥺
I don’t think either of them was a really good Dumbledore. Harris nailed the warm, caring tone of the character, but seemed to grandfatherly overall (unlike in the books, where Harry has to remind himself at one time that Dumbledore is in fact an old man).
Gambon on the other hand seems energetic and powerful enough, but he is way to cold and aggressive, which Dumbledore *never* should be (in the books he mostly keeps a calm and faux-friendly attitude even with his enemies). And there is just some layer of quirkiness missing from both actors (but I guess that’s just an issue with the movies in general).
Thank you! There’s the moment in the end of Goblet of Fire where Dumbledore storms into Crouch-Moody’s office after he takes Harry from the maze and Harry has a “Oh shit, THIS is why Voldemort is scared of him/the guy who took down Grindelwald/is an insanely influential powerful wizarding legend” moment, but it takes four years for him to really see that and it’s a shock to his system when it happens—when knowing and experiencing collide. With Gambon that type of moment wouldn’t have been quite as surprising.
He can keep the faux-friendliness because he realizes he's the most powerful wizard alive; Harris radiated that gravitas. IMHO, Gambon never portrayed Dumbledore's sheer magical power; at least, not in the same way.
Problem is that Richard Harris only had two movies as Dumbledore - and it was towards the end of his life. Whereas Michael Gambon had most of the series as Dumbledore and in much better health.
Which is so odd to me. Considering that they knew there would be multiple movies and Dumbledore was more involved in each book, why go with an actor that isn’t able to perform the physical demand needed for that character?
Richard Harris originally turned down the role of Dumbledore for those exact reasons. He saw the potential of the series and he knew that he would not be able to play Dumbledore until the end of the series due to age and health reasons. The only reason he took the role was because his 11 year old granddaughter threatened to never speak to him again if he wasn't Dumbledore.
[source](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/sep/14/harrypotter.news)
You get Richard Harris, you use Richard Harris. The man was a nightmare to work with and nobody ever didn’t want to because he was one of the most brilliant actors ever.
Well, I think only three books were released when they cast for the first film. We hadn't seen the really badass side of Dumbledore in the books yet either.
Okay so I cited it wrong, the KIDS were originally signed on for 2 films:
*In a recent interview with The Guardian, Malfoy actor Felton has revealed that early on in the series, he believed that the entire cast of child actors in Harry Potter would be replaced. According to Felton, the child actors were only initially signed on for the first two films in the series. Felton has stated that the studio felt that if "the kids still look young enough" after two movies, then they would get to do a third. Apparently, the studio would then reevaluate after each subsequent film.*
[interview](https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-movies-cast-replaced-tom-felton/)
My bad, man.
Richard Harris definitely lacked the physical energy I feel like Dumbledore should have. Not sure it would be convincing to see Richard Harris' Dumbledore go up against Voldemort in OOTP.
Movie 3 Dumbledore is the closest depiction of my head version of Book Dumbledore, particularly that last mischievous “Good night…”. I was delighted with Gambon.
Any issues I had with him after (like the infamous shouting in GoF) I attribute more to the writing/direction than his acting.
I think one of other reasons there's a difference is his approach. Most of the actors read the series. Some kind of got invested as a result of wanting to know where their characters end up. Some (like evanna lynch) were hard-core fans. Gambon never really read the series. I don't think he's a bad actor, but perhaps him not reading the book had an effect on his portrayal?
I feel like he captured the mischievous side of dumbledore really well. His work in POA and in the King's Cross scene were both perfect. And everything in order of the phoenix, from beginning to fighting voldemort, were good too. The rest is up and down, IMHO
>Gambon never really read the series.
I'd be willing to bet that if he had, he would have taken issue with the direction given him during his most infamous scene.
Don't you like his Dumbledore is Half-Blood Prince? I think Gambon's acting was also very accurate in it.
Order of the Phoenix was not bad, but not perfect.
Goblet of Fire... no comments.
Fun fact: In an earlier draft of the GOF script, as Dumbledore and Harry are leaving Crouch Jr.'s interrogation, they run into Rita Skeeter and Dumbledore says Harry's line from the book "I have a word for you - goodbye!" It would've been a great opportunity to evolve from the mischievous sort of delivery of the previous film into something more serious. But it was cut.
Gambon suffers from a few poor choices and the fact that they made more major changes(many of them pointless) in the movies he was in. He did a fine job for most of it.
I agree. However, Harris was the perfect Dumbledore in the first movie. Like, absolutely book perfect. I have a head canon that when he died the character had some kind of mental break or something new happened or he found something out that caused him to become so much more militant and aggressive. So both Dumbledores have a place in the canon.
I also agree with that idea as Richard Harris introduced the Dumbledore everyone expected and although unintentional, after being replaced by Gambon it managed to fit the darker tones and adapt to create a exceptional character arc.
To add to your headcanon a bit:
You know what might have happened? He found out about horcruxes. Harry kills the diary at the end of the second year... so Dumbledore examines it very closely during the summer holidays and bam. Suddenly he knows that Voldemort made these terrible terrible things and he needs to step up his game.
Would maybe explain his more militant approach.
I think that Michael Gambon was my preferred Dumbledore, not in accuracy but rather excitement, Michael Gambon is the image I felt was most resonated with what I imagined Dumbledore to be. Also Harry! DID YAH PUT YAH NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAH?!
I think the best scene by Gambon was definitely his duel with Voldemort and his performance of being cursed in the Half-Blood Prince was also exceptional.
I was looking for someone to agree with me on this. Gambon pulled off that scene perfectly imo I couldn’t envision Harris doing the same, but as others have said he fit the role well for the first part as it matched Harry’s perception of him. And after all the series is all Harry’s perspective
Phineas is a great character and this line was probably his best, but it’s got such a different vibe coming from Kingsley... and most of the time, I think I prefer it.
Same. I love how Kingsley says it. I actually forgot Phineas said it until I got there 2 days ago...but the way Kingsley says it in the movie I will never forget that line.
Man i was so mad that Phineus Nigellus didn’t deliver that line (or be present at all in the films besides a passing mention smh) but Kingsley was a great stand in for that line. It pulled together the fact that Kingsley was in the Order as a sort of double agent, and the scene overall almost made up for the scope of the scene that happened in the book (with Marietta, umbridge, Percy, etc)
I must admit, it doesn’t really seem like a situation in which someone who knows as much as Dumbledore would be anything but irate. Imagine planning out this kids life and being thrown a curveball like that
I think Michael Gambon is perfect as Dumbledore. Of course Harris is great but he was way too old and infirm. I seriously believe that any problems with Gambon’s portrayal are due to the director and producers occasionally misunderstanding the character.
I think Harris is who the reader wishes Dumbledore was, and Gambon is who he really was.
I'm glad this is actually somewhat an unpopular opinion, or at least I see more pro Richard Harris content than Michael Gambon.
Irks me when it's a clearly not an unpopular opinion. The other day I saw one "unpopular opinion: Snape would probably be very good at making soups".
Definitely unpopular with me. I don't think Gambon ever understood the character of Dumbledore at all. He admittedly never read the books and he certainly has never been what I pictured while reading them.
Harris embodied what Dumbledore was IMO.
I have to say, I liked both in their own way, but I am really digging Jude Law as Dumbledore as well. He really has that Dumbledore twinkle in his eye and to me that counts for a lot.
I also think, and perhaps it is because JKR is writing the FB screenplays, but he really has a lot more of Dumbledore's pleasantly polite yet sort of mischievous way about him.
I feel like the only other movie where you ever really get to see that is maybe Prisoner of Azkaban.
But I do agree with OP that sometimes people are too hard on Gambon as Dumbledore, especially since pretty much every character acted like a raving lunatic in Goblet of Fire and I really don't blame Gambon for that particular bit of performance.
One of my favorite scenes is when Harry and Dumbledore talk after they go into the penseive in Goblet of Fire. Gambon perfectly captured how frustrating it would be for someone that usually knows everything being caught off guard
Kind of off topic, but one of the changes from book to movie that disappointed me the most was changing their conversation at the end of OOtP. Harry trashing Dumbledore’s office could have been a really powerful scene that I think Dan and Gambon could have pulled off well.
I have to agree! Richard Harris was like watching a walking skeleton. Everything so stiff, like those old Conan O’Brien skits where just the mouths move. Gambon had way more personality and was lively enough to be a believably fearsome opponent. People just latch on to the first thing they see, so they unconsciously think Harris is the only way Dumbledore should be.
I liked Richard Harris’s Dumbledore in the first two films because in those two installments he was only ever really a sage figure.
But I like Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore better. He’s more physical and powerful and imposing. He can get crap done.
Harris would've been ideal if the timing of the movies and his age had matched up slightly better. Even a few years earlier and it would've been perfect. I can't see him doing the later stuff though and his personality didn't match Dumbledore as much as it seemed when you watch bc he did fit the role so well you never notice at first that he's not the perfect match he feels like. I would've still loved to see him finish the series and think I would've been happy if he'd been able to physically pull it off. I would've liked more of a blend. When I picture Dumbledore reading, I always picture a leaner slightly younger Harris. Like what I think of merlin in my head (ever see sword and the stone by Disney? That except human not cartoon). I disliked the replacement, but he did make more sense in the end.
Gambon is a great actor, but he was poorly directed and also should have read the books or at least try to match Harris's performance more closely. He gets better with each movie but never truly feels like the Dumbledore from the books for me.
Thank you! Gambon never read the books and that always kinda bothered me. I don't mind his casting but feel like if he at least read the source material his portrayal would have been even better
My main issue with Gambondore was the hideous flimsy grey rag costumes. Totally petty, I know, but it legit hurt to look at. If they'd just given him slightly nicer outfits (not even like super opulent or colorful, just nicer) it would have been great imo.
I’m so happy someone else feels the same way!! Dumbledore is written as a character with a “knowing” omniscient feel. Someone so intelligent that whenever Harry has a conversation with him, Harry is uncomfortable and feels like Dumbledore is seeing right through him. Harris just didn’t achieve this in my opinion. He wasn’t anything other than old and wise.
Ignoring the infamous “did you put your name in the goblet of fire” line (which was probably at least partially down to direction), I think that Harris fit into the role very quickly and naturally in his two films, while Gambon was a little abrasive and often seems less friendly in his early ones (3 and 4). I certainly think that by film 6 Gambon nailed the character.
I disagree. I feel like Richard Harris> Michael Gambon. Richard Harris is more what I had envisioned when I was reading the books. Dumbledore hardly ever acted with such emotion in the books. He was always calm, witty and stealthy while Michael Gambon was swift, loud, obnoxious at times and snatched Harry up in GOF about putting his name in the GOF and I thought it was too much. I remember being thrown off seeing that scene and feeling like it was kinda cringe.
Lol I’m not really a fan of the films anyway but Richard Harris had a more eccentric appeal that was similar to how reading the books for the first time felt I guess
I think he gets way too much hate for that one line in GoF. Richard Harris is a great portrayal of Dumbledore in young Harry’s eyes - he’s innocent, whimsical, and warm. but Gambon displays the tougher, more complicated side of Dumbledore very well.
Jude Law is the best Dumbledore though.
I though Harris had a great dumbledore charm, magical and mysterious though If he didn’t pass away I would struggle to see him playing dumbledore post book 4 due to his age. I think gambon played a great dumbledore in POA and was pretty good in HBP but didn’t particularly like his portrayal in GOF and OOTP. It seemed like he didn’t really understand the character in those films very well. Overall I think dumbledore was a very interesting complex character to play and I think we learnt a lot about him after the DH book had come out which would have potentially changed how he was portrayed on screen (I know I when I read the books I analyse dumbledores character differently than when I first read the books!)
I thought it was kind of a good thing to change the actor to a bit younger feeling. He had a lot more moments going forward after the 2nd book as we got to know Dumbledore more and more. It almost seals the different feel after the mysticism of the character goes away. That just so happens to be after the 2nd book.
It's refreshing to see an unpopular opinion that's actually unpopular. Michael Gambon did do a fantastic job but I don't think he's better. I think they are equally good - two different approaches that brought Dumbledore to life.
Richard Harris: “Calmly”😌🧙♂️Harry did put your name into the goblet of fire?
Michael Gambon: 🤬🏃💨HARRY DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIYAHH!!!!!!
It probably has to do with the fact that I didn't read any of the books or watch any of the movies until I was in college, but I wasn't blown away by Harris's Dumbledore. I thought he was okay for what it was (and books 1-2 Dumbledore didn't really require much) but he had zero energy in the role, and in all of the books' descriptions, Dumbledore is far more energetic than his old age would lead you to expect. Gambon did epically botch the Goblet of Fire line, but he did convey the energy and cunning skill of the books' Dumbledore in a way that Harris never did.
I actually think the movies they each had were the perfect ones for them. After the first two books dumbledore is a lot more present and not just quietly dispensing wisdom. He has more energy and presence, which Gambon does well. The only real critique I have of gambon is his attitude towards names being in goblets.
Love Gambon. Don't care about the GOF line-it actually annoys me that it's brought up frequently- but the HBP scene is amazing. OOTP too, but HBP will always have my heart. I also haven't read all the books so maybe I'm missing something from people that go hard for Harris. Didn't mind Harris though, but Gambon is amazing.
What I don't understand is why most main characters in the movies (including Ron, Hermione and Harry) clearly weren't angry enough compared to the book characters, yet Gambon and the writers decided that Dumbledore was going to be one of the angriest people in the movies. That's the one character that should have been calm under pressure lmao.
Ikr, Richard Harris was way too old than the Dumbledore I imagined. Idk why, but I imagined him as a young fat man wearing a yellow and black T-shirt in my childhood lol. Though I would've liked it more if Michael Gambon spoke calmly.
You know what, I'm gonna support this one, largely because Richard Harris seems to [have been more of a dick](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/ian-mckellen-dumbledore) than I originally suspected.
I think he definitely fit best in the later movies. I loved Harris in the first two but I don’t think he would have fit as well with the greater level of action required from the character in later books.
Yeah I completely agree, honestly I don’t see what’s so good about Harris’s performance. No offense to the guy, but in the first two movies he’s so old he can barely speak clearly. I get he “looks” more like what most people imagined Dumbledore to look like, but other than that what’s good about him? I know I’m gonna get downvoted for saying this, but it’s a lackluster performance by an actor who was clearly over the hill.
I don’t understand the criticisms against Gambon. Sure, he was more agitated than book Dumbledore was in the Goblet scene. Big deal? Minor details like that change all the time. And before you say “it goes completely against his character,” while I won’t convince anyone that that *one* scene was in character, I thought Gambon’s overall performance more closely mimicked Dumbledore’s character than Harris’s did. Gambon perfected the subtle “I’m not mad, just disappointed” moments that were crucial for book Dumbledore, and captured a far greater range of his emotional complexity than a geriatric Harris could have ever done.
**MOST IMPORTANTLY**, Gambon was able to capture the *power* of Dumbledore way beyond what Harris could have done. In the first two movies, Harris looked and sounded weak and frail. He was absolutely *not* the image of the most powerful wizard in the world, or the only one the Dark Lord feared. Gambon’s performance brought this power. The only time Dumbledore seemed weak in the books was in Half Blood Prince when he was essentially dying, and Gambon was able to capture those moments of weakness (yet still immense underlying power and wisdom) perfectly too.
Yes, Gambon was far better. I can't imagine how Harris' SantaClauseldore would have handled the horcruxes and the darker material of the later movies. I know Harris was a great actor and could have done it, of course, but he would have had to reverse a lot of the decisions he made in the first movies.
I also suspect Harris would have been far too calm when asking Harry if he put his name in the goblet of fire.
My opinion. Gambon was not Dumbledore to me. There were several other, indeed anyone, that would have been better choices than Gambon. Including a couple of American actors.
Peter O'Toole (passed on the role)
Ian McKlellan (passed on the role)
Michael Caine
David McCallum
Ian Abercrombie
Jeremy Irons
Bruce Dern
Robert Duvall
I agree. I was never a fan of Richard Harris to be honest. And he made a rather boring Dumbeldore. They knock it out of the park with Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith, but I felt they dropped the ball bad with Dumbledore when casting him. At least they made up for it with casting Gary Oldman and David Thewliss. Heck, even Ralph Fiennes was a fantastic choice for Voldemort.
I agree. For the later films. Richard Harris fit the old timey Father Christmas old sweet guy, but when things got more hectic Michael Gambon has a much better presence and aliveness, which fits the way he’s described more. “Although he was very old Dumbledore always gave an impression of great energy.” (POA, pg 91)
I'll expand...I always had a problem with how Gambon played Dimbledore in the GOF movie. Dumbledore didn't yell at Harry after his name shot out of the Goblet, that isn't Dumbledore.
i wish everyone didn’t have the same unoriginal answer about the GoF line.. the internet really ran with that one. that’s why it’s all anyone can talk about. not like there aren’t a million other differences between the books and movies.
I agree but have always been irritated that Gambon never read the books before playing the character. Cough cough DIDYAPUTYANAMEINTHAGOBLETOFFIYAHHHH *calmly*
Laughable.
Michael Gambon was truly awful as Dumledore.
They should have just gotten Ian McKellan, I don’t care that he was Gandalf, he would have been perfect
Gambon did a a good job of dumbledore no question but when I read the books as a kid before any movie was released and then saw the first movie, Harris exactly portrayed the Dumbledore I envisioned from the books.
I think the perfect Dumbledore would be a cross between the two. I don’t think Harris would be as good as Gambon at being the politically savvy, powerful to the point of Voldemort being wary of him Dumbledore. But Gambon was not as good as Harris at being the kind, eccentric Dumbledore.
I want Ian McKellan Dumbledore.
I agree, Harris couldn't have done the Dumbledore we see later as the multifaceted charecter he is, not the way he played him. The first two movies Harry see's him as an all knowing, all powerful, wise protector. As he gets older we see all sides of him and Gambon plays that well. One of the hardest things kids have to learn is that adults don't have all the answers. And I think that is shocking to Harry, given how he's idealized Dumbledore this whole time.
In my mind the book Dumbledore was a mix between the two...I felt the early one was too aloof and quiet and frail but the latter was loud and rather hectic at times and also like mean to Harry and freaking hit him at times or something?? I marathoned the books and then the movies and that was my conclusion anyway.
Michael Gambon was amazing at the human side of Dumbledore we get to see in the later books. Richard Harris, however, mastered the mysticism of early Dumbledore... the guy had a, I don't know how to say it, a prowess, even a regality or nobility about him, that spoke to how ancient the magical world was. It just seemed so big and mysterious at that point... your breath was taken away by the beauty of even little things like the lamp lights on Privet Drive winking out one by one. Later, we got used to seeing magic, and they kept upping the stakes with gorgeous shit like the Dumbledore v. Voldemort duel at the end of Phoenix. Michael's portrayal lost the mystery, and -- there's the word -- awe you got from Richard's performance. But it gained the heart. How could Richard Harris have defied being arrested by Cornelius Fudge in his office with the same flair Gambon did? And how could he have been the crying Dumbledore at the unending bowl of sadness in Half-Blood Prince? We're lucky we got both, I think! Neither would have been perfect for Dumbledore's whole arc.
Sometimes I wish we could just mash them together… but then we’d get Ian McKellen😅😅 Edit: I just read the VF article another redditor posted and now I’m extra bummed we never got this.
Ahhh you're so right... Ian would have really just changed Harry Potter's flavor I think. Stolen the show.
I agree with you totally stealing the show but since Jude Law is the best thing about the Fantastic Beasts movies I’m not sure I would mind??? Idk I’m torn
Me too! I think it would have given the movies even more magic. But really at the end of the day, it may have taken away from Harry's experience I think. You wouldn't have been able to take your eyes off of Ian XD and maybe you'd forget you were a little kid who was experiencing magic for the first time
You’re definitely not wrong!! I would love to have that feeling again for the first time
I would have loved Colin Farrell to stay as grindelwald. He’s amazing in the first movie ans feels both charismatic and dangerous. Johnny depp is just a clown that farts in a big hat and mads is just Jeremy irons on quaaludes.
Is it about how he was offered the roll but denied it since Richard Harris hated him and it seemed disrespectful? (I don't see it and don't click links, I'm genuinely curious.)
Yes that was the article.
Fancy that... you might just be right with this...
Damn. Well said.
Thanks!
Perfectly said. Cheers!
Thank you!!! 🧙♂️
My almost exact feelings on the Richard Harris/Michael Gambon dilemma!
This sounds perfectly plausible...
I also loved Michael Gambon as dumbledore! He had a certain amount of power that I didn't get from Richard Harris, especially in the ministry of magic where he fought voldemort, I can't imagine Richard Harris having the power to do that. The moment in the book gives me chills when Harry sees dumbledore in the doorway and running down the steps at the ministry and instantly harry knew they were safe 🥺
I don’t think either of them was a really good Dumbledore. Harris nailed the warm, caring tone of the character, but seemed to grandfatherly overall (unlike in the books, where Harry has to remind himself at one time that Dumbledore is in fact an old man). Gambon on the other hand seems energetic and powerful enough, but he is way to cold and aggressive, which Dumbledore *never* should be (in the books he mostly keeps a calm and faux-friendly attitude even with his enemies). And there is just some layer of quirkiness missing from both actors (but I guess that’s just an issue with the movies in general).
Thank you! There’s the moment in the end of Goblet of Fire where Dumbledore storms into Crouch-Moody’s office after he takes Harry from the maze and Harry has a “Oh shit, THIS is why Voldemort is scared of him/the guy who took down Grindelwald/is an insanely influential powerful wizarding legend” moment, but it takes four years for him to really see that and it’s a shock to his system when it happens—when knowing and experiencing collide. With Gambon that type of moment wouldn’t have been quite as surprising.
HARRY DIDJA PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLEDA FIYAAAHHHH- Sorry, had to say it.
Exactly
He can keep the faux-friendliness because he realizes he's the most powerful wizard alive; Harris radiated that gravitas. IMHO, Gambon never portrayed Dumbledore's sheer magical power; at least, not in the same way.
Problem is that Richard Harris only had two movies as Dumbledore - and it was towards the end of his life. Whereas Michael Gambon had most of the series as Dumbledore and in much better health.
Which is so odd to me. Considering that they knew there would be multiple movies and Dumbledore was more involved in each book, why go with an actor that isn’t able to perform the physical demand needed for that character?
Richard Harris originally turned down the role of Dumbledore for those exact reasons. He saw the potential of the series and he knew that he would not be able to play Dumbledore until the end of the series due to age and health reasons. The only reason he took the role was because his 11 year old granddaughter threatened to never speak to him again if he wasn't Dumbledore. [source](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/sep/14/harrypotter.news)
Poor grandpa..
A grandpa will do anything for his grand-daughter.
This made me cry.
You get Richard Harris, you use Richard Harris. The man was a nightmare to work with and nobody ever didn’t want to because he was one of the most brilliant actors ever.
Well, I think only three books were released when they cast for the first film. We hadn't seen the really badass side of Dumbledore in the books yet either.
They were originally planning on just 2 films and then expanding if they did well, and assumed they'd recast the kids too.
Source?
Okay so I cited it wrong, the KIDS were originally signed on for 2 films: *In a recent interview with The Guardian, Malfoy actor Felton has revealed that early on in the series, he believed that the entire cast of child actors in Harry Potter would be replaced. According to Felton, the child actors were only initially signed on for the first two films in the series. Felton has stated that the studio felt that if "the kids still look young enough" after two movies, then they would get to do a third. Apparently, the studio would then reevaluate after each subsequent film.* [interview](https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-movies-cast-replaced-tom-felton/) My bad, man.
I just made it up because I felt like lying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOVbAmknKUk
Agreed. Can you imagine LOTR if they had to cast Gandalf?
Richard Harris definitely lacked the physical energy I feel like Dumbledore should have. Not sure it would be convincing to see Richard Harris' Dumbledore go up against Voldemort in OOTP.
Movie 3 Dumbledore is the closest depiction of my head version of Book Dumbledore, particularly that last mischievous “Good night…”. I was delighted with Gambon. Any issues I had with him after (like the infamous shouting in GoF) I attribute more to the writing/direction than his acting.
I think one of other reasons there's a difference is his approach. Most of the actors read the series. Some kind of got invested as a result of wanting to know where their characters end up. Some (like evanna lynch) were hard-core fans. Gambon never really read the series. I don't think he's a bad actor, but perhaps him not reading the book had an effect on his portrayal? I feel like he captured the mischievous side of dumbledore really well. His work in POA and in the King's Cross scene were both perfect. And everything in order of the phoenix, from beginning to fighting voldemort, were good too. The rest is up and down, IMHO
>Gambon never really read the series. I'd be willing to bet that if he had, he would have taken issue with the direction given him during his most infamous scene.
And on top of that, director Mike Newell also didn’t read the books.
Don't you like his Dumbledore is Half-Blood Prince? I think Gambon's acting was also very accurate in it. Order of the Phoenix was not bad, but not perfect. Goblet of Fire... no comments.
Fun fact: In an earlier draft of the GOF script, as Dumbledore and Harry are leaving Crouch Jr.'s interrogation, they run into Rita Skeeter and Dumbledore says Harry's line from the book "I have a word for you - goodbye!" It would've been a great opportunity to evolve from the mischievous sort of delivery of the previous film into something more serious. But it was cut.
100% agree. Dumbledore in Prisoner of Azkaban is the sweet spot for the character in the movies, I said calmly. 😉
Gambon suffers from a few poor choices and the fact that they made more major changes(many of them pointless) in the movies he was in. He did a fine job for most of it.
I have always held this same thought. Gambon is by far my favorite movie Dumbledore.
HBP Gambon was perfect. He kinda toned out the character but kept the energetic personality.
I agree. However, Harris was the perfect Dumbledore in the first movie. Like, absolutely book perfect. I have a head canon that when he died the character had some kind of mental break or something new happened or he found something out that caused him to become so much more militant and aggressive. So both Dumbledores have a place in the canon.
I also agree with that idea as Richard Harris introduced the Dumbledore everyone expected and although unintentional, after being replaced by Gambon it managed to fit the darker tones and adapt to create a exceptional character arc.
I’m just struck by how the ravenclaws sat down and had a powwow about this. It’s very us. 😂
To add to your headcanon a bit: You know what might have happened? He found out about horcruxes. Harry kills the diary at the end of the second year... so Dumbledore examines it very closely during the summer holidays and bam. Suddenly he knows that Voldemort made these terrible terrible things and he needs to step up his game. Would maybe explain his more militant approach.
I think that Michael Gambon was my preferred Dumbledore, not in accuracy but rather excitement, Michael Gambon is the image I felt was most resonated with what I imagined Dumbledore to be. Also Harry! DID YAH PUT YAH NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAH?!
His best Dumbledore moment was Kings Cross. That was the clever, kind-hearted Dumbledore I was waiting for and he nailed it.
I think the best scene by Gambon was definitely his duel with Voldemort and his performance of being cursed in the Half-Blood Prince was also exceptional.
I was looking for someone to agree with me on this. Gambon pulled off that scene perfectly imo I couldn’t envision Harris doing the same, but as others have said he fit the role well for the first part as it matched Harry’s perception of him. And after all the series is all Harry’s perspective
Yeah completely agree. I loved him and was never bothered by HARRYDIDYUPUTYERNAMEINTHEGOBLETOFFIYAH
"You may not like him Minister, but you gotta admit Dumbledore's got style" - Kingsley Shacklebolt
Boy they did Phineas wrong in the movies
Phineas is a great character and this line was probably his best, but it’s got such a different vibe coming from Kingsley... and most of the time, I think I prefer it.
Same. I love how Kingsley says it. I actually forgot Phineas said it until I got there 2 days ago...but the way Kingsley says it in the movie I will never forget that line.
My favourite all time HP line
Man i was so mad that Phineus Nigellus didn’t deliver that line (or be present at all in the films besides a passing mention smh) but Kingsley was a great stand in for that line. It pulled together the fact that Kingsley was in the Order as a sort of double agent, and the scene overall almost made up for the scope of the scene that happened in the book (with Marietta, umbridge, Percy, etc)
And that scene was a second take, the first one was more subtle, but guess what. Director did not like it.
I must admit, it doesn’t really seem like a situation in which someone who knows as much as Dumbledore would be anything but irate. Imagine planning out this kids life and being thrown a curveball like that
Me neither. Gambon for the win. Harris was too frail to be Dumbledore as I pictured him.
the internet is an amazing thing
I'm so glad these unpopular opinions posts are popular cause I'm finding my people in the comments.
Agreed. In made sense in the movie, as it made sense in the book.
He said calmly
Yeah I’ve never blamed Gambon for that. That’s totally a misstep by the director.
I think Michael Gambon is perfect as Dumbledore. Of course Harris is great but he was way too old and infirm. I seriously believe that any problems with Gambon’s portrayal are due to the director and producers occasionally misunderstanding the character. I think Harris is who the reader wishes Dumbledore was, and Gambon is who he really was.
…I don’t mind looking at Jude Law’s three piece suit Dumbledore.
what a stud, right?
I always wanted to see Max Von Sydow as Dumbledore.
he’s a legend
Good choice! He would've been a better Dumbledore than either Gambon or Harris.
I'm glad this is actually somewhat an unpopular opinion, or at least I see more pro Richard Harris content than Michael Gambon. Irks me when it's a clearly not an unpopular opinion. The other day I saw one "unpopular opinion: Snape would probably be very good at making soups".
The best Dumbledore is some mix of the two. Gammons energy and intensity, Harris’ sparkle and equanimity.
Definitely unpopular with me. I don't think Gambon ever understood the character of Dumbledore at all. He admittedly never read the books and he certainly has never been what I pictured while reading them. Harris embodied what Dumbledore was IMO.
"I disagree" he said calmly... ;)
i like your style
I have to say, I liked both in their own way, but I am really digging Jude Law as Dumbledore as well. He really has that Dumbledore twinkle in his eye and to me that counts for a lot. I also think, and perhaps it is because JKR is writing the FB screenplays, but he really has a lot more of Dumbledore's pleasantly polite yet sort of mischievous way about him. I feel like the only other movie where you ever really get to see that is maybe Prisoner of Azkaban. But I do agree with OP that sometimes people are too hard on Gambon as Dumbledore, especially since pretty much every character acted like a raving lunatic in Goblet of Fire and I really don't blame Gambon for that particular bit of performance.
One of my favorite scenes is when Harry and Dumbledore talk after they go into the penseive in Goblet of Fire. Gambon perfectly captured how frustrating it would be for someone that usually knows everything being caught off guard
Kind of off topic, but one of the changes from book to movie that disappointed me the most was changing their conversation at the end of OOtP. Harry trashing Dumbledore’s office could have been a really powerful scene that I think Dan and Gambon could have pulled off well.
I have to agree! Richard Harris was like watching a walking skeleton. Everything so stiff, like those old Conan O’Brien skits where just the mouths move. Gambon had way more personality and was lively enough to be a believably fearsome opponent. People just latch on to the first thing they see, so they unconsciously think Harris is the only way Dumbledore should be.
I liked Richard Harris’s Dumbledore in the first two films because in those two installments he was only ever really a sage figure. But I like Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore better. He’s more physical and powerful and imposing. He can get crap done.
Harris would've been ideal if the timing of the movies and his age had matched up slightly better. Even a few years earlier and it would've been perfect. I can't see him doing the later stuff though and his personality didn't match Dumbledore as much as it seemed when you watch bc he did fit the role so well you never notice at first that he's not the perfect match he feels like. I would've still loved to see him finish the series and think I would've been happy if he'd been able to physically pull it off. I would've liked more of a blend. When I picture Dumbledore reading, I always picture a leaner slightly younger Harris. Like what I think of merlin in my head (ever see sword and the stone by Disney? That except human not cartoon). I disliked the replacement, but he did make more sense in the end.
My unpopular opinion is that neither of them were very good. Neither of them portrayed what Dumbledoor was meant to be.
HARRY POTTER DID YOU MAKE THIS POST IN THE GOBLET OF REDDIT!!!! *breathes fire and burns the whole place down*
I agree, I liked the fiery intensity he brought to the role. I can’t imagine Richard Harris’s Dumbledore fighting Voldemort in OoTP
“Alas, earwax” was delivered so perfectly that he just became my dumbledore after that
fair enough
Gambon is a great actor, but he was poorly directed and also should have read the books or at least try to match Harris's performance more closely. He gets better with each movie but never truly feels like the Dumbledore from the books for me.
Thank you! Gambon never read the books and that always kinda bothered me. I don't mind his casting but feel like if he at least read the source material his portrayal would have been even better
You nailed it.
Perfect comment. Ian McKellen or Max von Sydow... So much better imo.
My main issue with Gambondore was the hideous flimsy grey rag costumes. Totally petty, I know, but it legit hurt to look at. If they'd just given him slightly nicer outfits (not even like super opulent or colorful, just nicer) it would have been great imo.
I agree; his costumes weren't great.
Couldn’t agree more…Gambondore for life!
I respectfully disagree with that statement.
thank you, i respectfully respect your opinion
I’m so happy someone else feels the same way!! Dumbledore is written as a character with a “knowing” omniscient feel. Someone so intelligent that whenever Harry has a conversation with him, Harry is uncomfortable and feels like Dumbledore is seeing right through him. Harris just didn’t achieve this in my opinion. He wasn’t anything other than old and wise.
I agree with OP. My own version of AD before any movies came out was more like Gambon's version. I thought Harris' portrayal made AD a bit too feeble.
Agree 👏🏻
Yes that is an unpopular opinion
Fiyah
Richard Harris
by all means, the floor is yours
Ignoring the infamous “did you put your name in the goblet of fire” line (which was probably at least partially down to direction), I think that Harris fit into the role very quickly and naturally in his two films, while Gambon was a little abrasive and often seems less friendly in his early ones (3 and 4). I certainly think that by film 6 Gambon nailed the character.
Did you just share an unpopular opinion, Dumbledore asked calmly
Not as unpopular as Jude Law Dumbledore being even better lol
one thing at a time here lol
Diagree CALMLY!
I disagree. I feel like Richard Harris> Michael Gambon. Richard Harris is more what I had envisioned when I was reading the books. Dumbledore hardly ever acted with such emotion in the books. He was always calm, witty and stealthy while Michael Gambon was swift, loud, obnoxious at times and snatched Harry up in GOF about putting his name in the GOF and I thought it was too much. I remember being thrown off seeing that scene and feeling like it was kinda cringe.
Yeah that does not sit well with me lol
yay, it worked lol
Lol I’m not really a fan of the films anyway but Richard Harris had a more eccentric appeal that was similar to how reading the books for the first time felt I guess
Richard was a bit too whispery for me. Dumbledore speaks gently but not THAT gently..
of course. Michael Gambon actually portrayed the character way better than Richard Harris did.
I think he gets way too much hate for that one line in GoF. Richard Harris is a great portrayal of Dumbledore in young Harry’s eyes - he’s innocent, whimsical, and warm. but Gambon displays the tougher, more complicated side of Dumbledore very well. Jude Law is the best Dumbledore though.
Bullshit, 10 points from Griffindor.
Love them both but I do prefer the second dumbledore. I know the first is more book accurate but I just can’t stand the way he speaks..
I though Harris had a great dumbledore charm, magical and mysterious though If he didn’t pass away I would struggle to see him playing dumbledore post book 4 due to his age. I think gambon played a great dumbledore in POA and was pretty good in HBP but didn’t particularly like his portrayal in GOF and OOTP. It seemed like he didn’t really understand the character in those films very well. Overall I think dumbledore was a very interesting complex character to play and I think we learnt a lot about him after the DH book had come out which would have potentially changed how he was portrayed on screen (I know I when I read the books I analyse dumbledores character differently than when I first read the books!)
I’m 100% Gambon baby
my people!
I was never sold on either, but Gambon did a good job.
I thought it was kind of a good thing to change the actor to a bit younger feeling. He had a lot more moments going forward after the 2nd book as we got to know Dumbledore more and more. It almost seals the different feel after the mysticism of the character goes away. That just so happens to be after the 2nd book.
It's refreshing to see an unpopular opinion that's actually unpopular. Michael Gambon did do a fantastic job but I don't think he's better. I think they are equally good - two different approaches that brought Dumbledore to life.
Richard Harris would have never calmly shouted at Harry.
Richard Harris: “Calmly”😌🧙♂️Harry did put your name into the goblet of fire? Michael Gambon: 🤬🏃💨HARRY DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIYAHH!!!!!!
Agreed.
It probably has to do with the fact that I didn't read any of the books or watch any of the movies until I was in college, but I wasn't blown away by Harris's Dumbledore. I thought he was okay for what it was (and books 1-2 Dumbledore didn't really require much) but he had zero energy in the role, and in all of the books' descriptions, Dumbledore is far more energetic than his old age would lead you to expect. Gambon did epically botch the Goblet of Fire line, but he did convey the energy and cunning skill of the books' Dumbledore in a way that Harris never did.
I agree 100%.
I completely agree. It’s not even close.
Who do you like better? Personally I like Richard Harris' Dumbledore better.
I definitely prefer Gambon’s take
I actually think the movies they each had were the perfect ones for them. After the first two books dumbledore is a lot more present and not just quietly dispensing wisdom. He has more energy and presence, which Gambon does well. The only real critique I have of gambon is his attitude towards names being in goblets.
I Always think this but never want to say it out loud.
I agree
Movies were kinda bad after the second and the new Dumbledore was simply abysmal.
Agree
100000000% agree. Could not agree more. He absolutely nailed it.
Love Gambon. Don't care about the GOF line-it actually annoys me that it's brought up frequently- but the HBP scene is amazing. OOTP too, but HBP will always have my heart. I also haven't read all the books so maybe I'm missing something from people that go hard for Harris. Didn't mind Harris though, but Gambon is amazing.
What I don't understand is why most main characters in the movies (including Ron, Hermione and Harry) clearly weren't angry enough compared to the book characters, yet Gambon and the writers decided that Dumbledore was going to be one of the angriest people in the movies. That's the one character that should have been calm under pressure lmao.
Ikr, Richard Harris was way too old than the Dumbledore I imagined. Idk why, but I imagined him as a young fat man wearing a yellow and black T-shirt in my childhood lol. Though I would've liked it more if Michael Gambon spoke calmly.
You know what, I'm gonna support this one, largely because Richard Harris seems to [have been more of a dick](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/ian-mckellen-dumbledore) than I originally suspected.
I don't think that is a dick move. It was just his opinion which was also okay for Ian.
It was *very* tasteful of Ian to call him a wo derful actor, despite saying that he essentially didn't like Harris
Having met Michael Gambon on set, I can tell you he is a massive dick.
Gambon, too? That's a shame. More importantly, what set(s) did you work on? You must have some really interesting stories!
I think he definitely fit best in the later movies. I loved Harris in the first two but I don’t think he would have fit as well with the greater level of action required from the character in later books.
We will make it popular! Both are great. But I do prefer Gambon.
thank you! :)
Gambon was great but Richard Harris may of been one of the best casts ever he was exactly what you’d expect from a wizard headmaster kinda look
Here is an even more impopular opinion. Jude Law > All.
now that’s spicy!
Yeah I completely agree, honestly I don’t see what’s so good about Harris’s performance. No offense to the guy, but in the first two movies he’s so old he can barely speak clearly. I get he “looks” more like what most people imagined Dumbledore to look like, but other than that what’s good about him? I know I’m gonna get downvoted for saying this, but it’s a lackluster performance by an actor who was clearly over the hill. I don’t understand the criticisms against Gambon. Sure, he was more agitated than book Dumbledore was in the Goblet scene. Big deal? Minor details like that change all the time. And before you say “it goes completely against his character,” while I won’t convince anyone that that *one* scene was in character, I thought Gambon’s overall performance more closely mimicked Dumbledore’s character than Harris’s did. Gambon perfected the subtle “I’m not mad, just disappointed” moments that were crucial for book Dumbledore, and captured a far greater range of his emotional complexity than a geriatric Harris could have ever done. **MOST IMPORTANTLY**, Gambon was able to capture the *power* of Dumbledore way beyond what Harris could have done. In the first two movies, Harris looked and sounded weak and frail. He was absolutely *not* the image of the most powerful wizard in the world, or the only one the Dark Lord feared. Gambon’s performance brought this power. The only time Dumbledore seemed weak in the books was in Half Blood Prince when he was essentially dying, and Gambon was able to capture those moments of weakness (yet still immense underlying power and wisdom) perfectly too.
Straight to jail
you won’t catch me on my Nimbus
Yes, Gambon was far better. I can't imagine how Harris' SantaClauseldore would have handled the horcruxes and the darker material of the later movies. I know Harris was a great actor and could have done it, of course, but he would have had to reverse a lot of the decisions he made in the first movies. I also suspect Harris would have been far too calm when asking Harry if he put his name in the goblet of fire.
My opinion. Gambon was not Dumbledore to me. There were several other, indeed anyone, that would have been better choices than Gambon. Including a couple of American actors. Peter O'Toole (passed on the role) Ian McKlellan (passed on the role) Michael Caine David McCallum Ian Abercrombie Jeremy Irons Bruce Dern Robert Duvall
Oh? A real unpopular opinion is: Jude Law > Michael & Richard
one step at a time, my friend
One of the dumbest takes imaginable.
you could even call it, unpopular
Lol I think this is a popular opinion. I completely agree
I agree. I was never a fan of Richard Harris to be honest. And he made a rather boring Dumbeldore. They knock it out of the park with Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith, but I felt they dropped the ball bad with Dumbledore when casting him. At least they made up for it with casting Gary Oldman and David Thewliss. Heck, even Ralph Fiennes was a fantastic choice for Voldemort.
I agree. For the later films. Richard Harris fit the old timey Father Christmas old sweet guy, but when things got more hectic Michael Gambon has a much better presence and aliveness, which fits the way he’s described more. “Although he was very old Dumbledore always gave an impression of great energy.” (POA, pg 91)
It's not unpopular depending on which circle you're in. GOF aside, I'm a bigger fan of Gambon's Dumbledore.
Duuuuude … you ok? Honestly tho, I still dream of a Harry Potter Series or whatever and Jared Harris as Dumbledore
unpopular for a reason
Wrong!
I'll expand...I always had a problem with how Gambon played Dimbledore in the GOF movie. Dumbledore didn't yell at Harry after his name shot out of the Goblet, that isn't Dumbledore.
i wish everyone didn’t have the same unoriginal answer about the GoF line.. the internet really ran with that one. that’s why it’s all anyone can talk about. not like there aren’t a million other differences between the books and movies.
thank you for your participation
I agree. Harris wouldn't have fit in the later movies
Nah bro your so wrong. Richard Harris was just that bit too old but he had that whimsical vibe Dumbledore needed.
I’d just like to see Harris try and drink that emerald potion
I agree but have always been irritated that Gambon never read the books before playing the character. Cough cough DIDYAPUTYANAMEINTHAGOBLETOFFIYAHHHH *calmly*
Laughable. Michael Gambon was truly awful as Dumledore. They should have just gotten Ian McKellan, I don’t care that he was Gandalf, he would have been perfect
Nah I disagree I think Richard Harris is better if he was a little younger he could have performed the stunts.
He was definitely the most accurate to the book. He absolutely nailed the whimsical old man character to perfection.
Well he certainly lasted longer.
I only liked him in PoA
Yeah, this is objectively a bad take lol
one might just call it, unpopular?
Gambon did a a good job of dumbledore no question but when I read the books as a kid before any movie was released and then saw the first movie, Harris exactly portrayed the Dumbledore I envisioned from the books.
I think the perfect Dumbledore would be a cross between the two. I don’t think Harris would be as good as Gambon at being the politically savvy, powerful to the point of Voldemort being wary of him Dumbledore. But Gambon was not as good as Harris at being the kind, eccentric Dumbledore. I want Ian McKellan Dumbledore.
IT SHOULD have been Ian McKellan.
I agree, Harris couldn't have done the Dumbledore we see later as the multifaceted charecter he is, not the way he played him. The first two movies Harry see's him as an all knowing, all powerful, wise protector. As he gets older we see all sides of him and Gambon plays that well. One of the hardest things kids have to learn is that adults don't have all the answers. And I think that is shocking to Harry, given how he's idealized Dumbledore this whole time.
I’ll say it again and I’ve said it before, they were each great for the films they were in
In my mind the book Dumbledore was a mix between the two...I felt the early one was too aloof and quiet and frail but the latter was loud and rather hectic at times and also like mean to Harry and freaking hit him at times or something?? I marathoned the books and then the movies and that was my conclusion anyway.
His voice was the epitome of serenity when he quietly and very calmly said, “HARRY DIDCHA PUTCHO NEM IN DA GOBLET OF [email protected]?&?&?!??&”
Richard Harris would have asked Harry whether he'd put his name in the goblet calmly.
A real unpopular opinion (not necessarily mine) is Sir Ian McKellen would have been a better Dumbledore than either!
Not an unpopular opinion. As. Usual.
Unpopular isn’t the same as incorrect.