These casting choices were magic. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 “Harry Potter” actors who were cast straight out of the books.
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00:00 "Hello Harry."
00:00 "Lynda, how'd you know where I was?"
00:03 "Ragspurts. Your head's full of them."
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10
00:10 Harry Potter actors who were cast straight out of the books.
00:13 Keep in mind, we're not ranking on performance alone.
00:16 We're looking at the series stars who best resemble their characters on the page,
00:20 with physical appearance and characterization both taken into account.
00:25 "I've always wanted to use that spell."
00:27 "No."
00:28 Number 10. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
00:33 "You're a wizard, Harry."
00:34 "I'm a what?"
00:37 You never quite know how it's going to pan out when you cast for child roles,
00:42 especially when they're the lead. But safe to say,
00:45 it's hard to imagine anyone else playing Harry Potter these days.
00:49 "Really?"
00:49 "Hey, she's only interested in you because she thinks you're the chosen one."
00:55 "But I am the chosen one."
00:56 "Okay, sorry. Um, kidding."
01:00 Radcliffe brought the character's quick wit and unwavering determination to life
01:04 right from the start. As he grew with the franchise, learning from some of the best
01:09 Britain has to offer, the weight of the world his character carried began to translate to the screen.
01:15 It's a shame we never got to see as much of the book Harry's sharp tongue in the movies,
01:19 but when given the opportunity, Radcliffe can do sass with the best of them.
01:24 "Harry!"
01:24 "Sir?"
01:27 "It's nearly nightfall. Surely you realize I can't allow you to go roaming the ground by yourself?"
01:32 "Well then, by all means, come along, sir."
01:34 Number 9. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort
01:37 "It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The orders are on their way."
01:42 "By which time I shall be gone, and you...
01:45 you shall be dead."
01:49 Few can argue against Voldemort's rebirth in Goblet of Fire being a visual triumph.
01:54 Pale white with a skull-like face and slitted nostrils,
01:58 the Dark Lord is born again exactly as described on the page.
02:02 "Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do me, eh?"
02:04 "Picket a one, Potter!"
02:07 Aside from the red eyes, which were supposed to have cat-like pupils,
02:12 everything is pretty spot on. Add actor Ralph Fiennes to the mix,
02:15 and you have the ice-cold delivery to match. He absolutely threw himself into this iconic role,
02:21 trading wailed outbursts and whispered threats that always keep us on our toes.
02:27 "Don't you turn your back on me, Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you!
02:32 I want to see the light leave your eyes!"
02:34 Number 8. James and Oliver Phelps as Fred and George Weasley
02:38 "Ask George if you will."
02:40 "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
02:44 Though Julie Walters adds weight and warmth to Molly,
02:47 we're giving the title of best adapted Weasleys to the twins.
02:51 "Fred, you next!"
02:52 "He's not Fred, I am!"
02:54 "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother."
02:56 "Oh, I'm sorry, George."
02:58 "I'm only joking. I am Fred."
03:04 Fred and George are always together in the books.
03:07 It's even difficult for their mother to know which is which sometimes.
03:10 Likewise, James and Oliver Phelps are pretty impossible to tell apart,
03:15 or at least they were during the time of filming.
03:17 "So you mean this map shows?"
03:18 "Everyone."
03:19 "Everyone?"
03:20 "Everyone. Where they are, what they're doing, every minute of every day."
03:23 "Brilliant!"
03:23 Their shared lines of dialogue allowed them to play off each other in a way that was
03:27 almost telepathic. The pair have less to do in the movies, mostly because Percy isn't around
03:32 to tease, but the actors certainly held their own with all the wit and charm of the book twins.
03:38 Number 7. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
03:41 "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter.
03:45 You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
03:50 Tom Felton has surprisingly little screen time across all eight movies,
03:54 but the young actor showed incredible maturity to play all sides of a changing character,
04:00 completing Draco's turnaround in just over 30 minutes.
04:03 "Draco, you are no assassin."
04:08 "How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you."
04:10 Jason Isaacs is worth a mention here for his delightfully cruel take on Lucius,
04:15 creating some sympathy for Malfoy Jr. in the process,
04:18 but Felton did the rest with a fantastic turn in Half-Blood Prince. In a single performance,
04:24 Felton turned a cocky and arrogant boy into a nervous and tortured young man,
04:28 fulfilling all the promise of one of the book's most important arcs.
04:32 "Please let me help you."
04:34 "I don't want your help. Don't you understand?"
04:38 "I have to do this. I have to kill you. He's gonna kill me."
04:45 Number 6. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange
04:48 "You're not gonna get me!"
04:53 The role of Bellatrix Lestrange originally went to Helen McCrory,
04:57 who eventually landed the role of the character's sister, Narcissa.
05:00 The studio went the opposite way in recasting.
05:03 "He knows how to play. Itty bitty baby Potter."
05:11 Best known for playing some of the wackiest roles Tim Burton could think up,
05:14 Helena Bonham Carter stuck with what she knew and turned Bellatrix up to 11.
05:19 "Put the boys in the cellar. I want to have a little conversation with this one. Girl to girl."
05:27 As the series' most unhinged character, Carter feels right at home,
05:31 outshining Death Eaters already established and even improvising some of her craziest lines.
05:37 Bonus points for being versatile enough to expertly portray Hermione as Bellatrix too.
05:42 "Madame Lestrange."
05:43 "I don't like to be kept waiting."
05:51 Number 5. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
05:54 "An interesting necklace. It's a charm, actually.
06:00 Keeps away the nargles."
06:02 Already a fan of the books, Evanna Lynch identified with the quirky,
06:05 non-judgmental Luna Lovegood right from her debut. Before even being cast,
06:10 she had become pen pals with J.K. Rowling after first writing to her publisher.
06:15 The author offered advice and even the details of the casting agent,
06:19 but Lynch landed her dream role on Merit, beating out over 15,000 other girls to win the part.
06:25 "You're not going mad."
06:27 "I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am."
06:36 In the words of producer David Heyman, the others could play Luna. Evanna Lynch is Luna.
06:42 Rowling even began writing book Luna with Lynch in mind. Talk about perfect fit.
06:47 "Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end.
06:54 If not always in the way we expect."
06:57 Number 4. Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall
07:00 "That was bloody brilliant."
07:02 "Oh, thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps it would be more useful
07:06 if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocket watch.
07:10 That way one of you might be on time."
07:11 A universally beloved character, so much of Professor McGonagall's appeal
07:16 is in the respect she shares with the title hero. Their bond is made obvious a few different times
07:21 in the novels, like when it took McGonagall being severely disrespected for Harry to perfect the
07:26 Cruciatus Curse. "Do what you have to do. I'll secure the castle." "Potter.
07:32 It's good to see you." Maggie Smith, who already has status as a British national treasure,
07:40 commanded authority from her very first appearance. The unspoken relationship she has with her
07:45 students and her fine sense of justice is probably most evident in Order of the Phoenix,
07:50 where she actively opposes Professor Umbridge to become an instant fan favourite.
07:55 "So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom.
08:00 Minerva." "Not at all, Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."
08:07 Number three. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge.
08:11 "As this is an issue of ministry security, you leave me with
08:17 no alternative. The Cruciatus Curse sought to loosen your tongue."
08:22 "That's illegal. Cornelius doesn't know it won't hurt him."
08:26 Speak of the devil, Dolores Umbridge is a living reminder that not all cold-blooded
08:31 villains in The Wizarding World are Death Eaters. She's certainly prejudiced enough
08:35 to be one, after all. Spectacularly evil and described as toad-like in appearance,
08:40 it would have been easy to present the latest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor as
08:45 cartoonish in the movies. Luckily, they found just the right actress.
08:49 "Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected,
08:56 and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
09:02 Imelda Staunton brought all the worst parts of Umbridge to life in a way that's sickeningly
09:09 believable, right down to the high-pitched giggle that never fails to make us shudder.
09:14 Staunton's portrayal of a power trip gone wrong briefly makes Umbridge the most hated
09:18 character in the series. It's extra impressive, as she debuts right after Voldemort's return.
09:24 "That's right. Because you know, deep down, you deserve to be punished. Don't you, Mr. Potter?"
09:35 Number 2. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid.
09:38 "You're dead."
09:42 "Sorry about that."
09:54 The importance of Robbie Coltrane's performance cannot be understated. He was the first and
09:59 preferred actor Rowling had in mind for the role of Hagrid. From his first appearance on the page,
10:04 Hagrid starts as physically intimidating, lands on clumsy and comical, and soon after becomes
10:10 the story's emotional heartbeat. "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid."
10:14 Playing a character out of place in the familiar Muggle world, but a reliable guide into the
10:19 wizarding world, Coltrane had big boots to fill, pun very much intended. The late actor ticked
10:25 every box, from his tangled beard, thick West Country accent, to our desire for him to wrap us
10:30 in a big hug. "Am I doing me first day?" "Brilliant, Professor."
10:35 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:40 Emma Thompson as Sybil Trelawney. Thompson adds layers of sincerity to an old fraud.
10:45 "The truth lies buried like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read.
10:50 But first, you must broaden your minds. First, you must look beyond."
10:57 Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew. A fittingly creepy performance right down to the fur-like hair.
11:03 "Hey, shame you wouldn't have wanted me killed. Your dad, your dad would have spared me. He would
11:09 have shown me mercy." Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart.
11:12 We would love to have seen an Order of the Phoenix reappearance.
11:16 "Order of Merlin, third class. Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League,
11:23 and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. But I don't talk about that."
11:34 Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore. A calmer, more book-accurate Dumbledore.
11:39 "That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me, that is saying something."
11:46 Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. No one else could have embodied that charm and daredevil attitude.
11:52 "What's life without a little risk? I don't want to see you get shot back in Azkaban."
11:57 "No, don't worry about me."
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12:13 Number 1. Alan Rickman as Severus Snape.
12:17 "Understandable. Over the years, I've played my part well, so well,
12:21 I've deceived one of the greatest wizards of all time."
12:24 Severus Snape may be younger in the books, but we don't dock points for aging up if Alan Rickman is
12:30 involved. Not many actors can pull off such a complex character, but Rickman had us guessing
12:36 in every one of his slow-talking scenes. "I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare
12:42 the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."
12:52 The diehard baddie looked right at home in all black, but where he best captured the Potions
12:57 Master was in his performance. It's well known that Rickman knew the character's backstory all
13:02 along, and he played to the inner conflict we just don't see on the page. Whether Snape is
13:08 truly redeemed is up for debate, but the best adapted Harry Potter character? Always.
13:13 "No one can know. I should never reveal the best of yourselves. In your word."
13:21 Who did we miss? And which Harry Potter actors are least like their book characters?
13:26 WatchMojo asked calmly. "How did you put your name in a goblet of fire?"
13:30 "No, sir." "Did you ask one of the oldest
13:33 students to do it for you?" "No, sir."
13:34 "You're absolutely sure?" "Yes, sir."
13:37 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo.
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