The Harry Potter universe is one of the most treasured creations in the world.
Whether in film or the books written by JK Rowling, the stories resonate with people due to their originality, excitement and characters.
On the big screen, the film series became an overwhelming success, which was partly down to the talent of those bringing the novels’ characters to life.
Sadly, as time has passed – with the last Potter film released more than a decade ago – some stars of the films are no longer with us.
Dame Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)
Maggie Smith has died (Warner Bros)
Legendary British actress Dame Maggie Smith played the iconic role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter universe.
Starring in seven of the eight films in the original run of films, the only film she didn’t appear in was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Dame Maggie’s death was announced on 27 September, 2024.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore)
Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore (Warner Bros)
The legendary British actor starred as headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films.
He died after the second film, The Chamber of Secrets, and was replaced in the role by Michael Gambon from The Prisoner of Azkaban onwards.
He died on 25 October, 2002, aged 72.
Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore)
Gambon as Dumbledore (Warner Bros)
As we just mentioned, Gambon took over from Richard Harris following his death.
He made the role his own after inheriting the role of the character that was so important to both the books and films.
Gambon died on 27 September last year at the age of 82.
Elizabeth Spriggs (The Fat Lady)
Elizabeth Spriggs as The Fat Lady (Warner Bros)
Spriggs appeared in just the first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which was released back in 2001.
A stage and film actress spanning more than half a century, she played the role of The Fat Lady.
This was a living portrait within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, guarding the Gryffindor common room.
Dawn French took over the role following her death.
Spriggs died on 2 July 2008, aged 78.
Timothy Bateson (Kreacher)
Timothy Bateson played Kreacher in Order of Phoenix (Warner Bros)
Bateson played the other house elf in the series. Not Dobby, but Kreacher.
Providing his voice for the role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it was his last work before he died on 15 September 2009, aged 83.
Kreacher appeared in Deathly Hallows – Part One where he was voiced by Simon McBurney.
Jimmy Gardner (Ernie Prang)
Jimmy Gardner as Ernie Prang (Warner Bros)
“Take her away Ern, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”
A classic line from the third film in the series, Gardner starred as the driver of the magic Knight Bus.
His only footage in the film shows him erratically driving the vehicle, transporting Harry Potter to the Leaky Cauldron.
Gardner died on 3 May, 2010.
Robert Knox (Marcus Belby)
Robert Knox was murdered before he could feature in anymore movies (Warner Bros)
Rob Knox appeared in just one film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
He was meant to then show up in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part One but died before filming took place, having signed his contract for the film.
Knox was tragically murdered in a stabbing outside a London bar in May 2008, intervening in a fight that involved his brother.
The man who fatally stabbed Knox, Karl Norman Bishop, was given life in prison for the heinous crime. Knox was just 18 at the time of his death on 24 May, 2008.
Alfred Burke (Armando Dippet)
Alfred Burke as Armando Dippet (Warner Bros)
Burke starred as Armando Dippet in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
He appeared in flashback footage as headmaster of Hogwarts when Dumbledore was a student in the wizarding school.
Burke died at the age of 92 in February 2011.
Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley)
Richard Griffiths (Jemal Countess/WireImage for Tony Awards Productions)
An iconic role in the first few Potter films, Griffiths played Harry’s Uncle Vernon who took in the orphan after the death of his parents at the hands of Voldemort.
A hugely respected actor, Griffiths was also well known for roles in Chariots of Fire and The History Boys.
He died in 28 March, 2013.
Eric Sykes (Frank Bryce)
Eric Sykes played the gardener, Frank Bryce, who was struck down by Wormtail (TV Times / Getty Images)
Starring as Muggle Frank Bryce, Sykes played the role of gardener for the paternal grandparents of Voldemort.
His character is killed in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire after overhearing a conversation between Voldemort and his snake, Nagini, in the dilapidated house that used to be home to the Riddle family.
Sykes died on 4 July, 2012.
Roger Lloyd Pack (Barty Crouch Senior)
Roger Lloyd Pack was best known for his role as Trigger in Only Fools and Horses, but made a lasting impression on the HP franchise (Martin Doyle/FilmMagic)
Known throughout the UK for his time on Only Fools and Horses in the role of Trigger, Lloyd Pack moved into the Harry Potter universe in the role of influential Ministry of Magic official Barty Crouch Senior.
He died in 15 January, 2014.
Peter Cartwright (Elphias Doge)
Cartwright played the role of wizard Elphias Doge, who was a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
He starred in Order of the Phoenix where he helped escort Harry to Grimmauld Place.
Passing away on 18 November, 2013, he was replaced in later films by David Ryall.
David Ryall (Elphias Doge)
Ryall, who replaced Cartwright, also sadly died.
He started in Deathly Hallows – Part One in the role of Doge.
He died on 25 December, 2014.
Derek Deadman (Tom from The Leaky Cauldron)
Deadman starred as a character known only as Tom; a British wizard who was the landlord, innkeeper, and barman of every wizard’s favourite pub, The Leaky Cauldron.
He died from complications of diabetes on 22 November, 2014, after retiring to France.
Dave Legeno (Fenrir Greyback)
Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback (Warner Bros)
A terrifying character, Legeno played Fenrir Greyback – a werewolf and Death Eater who had a fixation on attacking unsuspecting children.
Legeno was found dead by hikers in Death Valley, California in July 2014.
He starred in three Potter films.
Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)
Alan Rickman was the perfect actor to play Snape (Warner Bros)
Up there as one of the most iconic faces in the entire Potter universe, Rickman starred in every film as Severus Snape.
Snape was a teacher at Hogwarts before becoming headmaster following the death of Dumbledore in the books and films.
He died in January 2016 following on from a terminal cancer diagnosis that he had chosen not to make public.
Terence Bayler (The Bloody Baron)
Bayler played the mischievous ghost The Bloody Baron in the first Potter film.
The Kiwi actor played the role of the ghoul and is seen in the first film flying through the school.
He died on 2 August, 2016.
Hazel Douglas (Bathilda Bagshot)
Hazel Douglas as Bathilda Bagshot (Warner Bros)
Douglas starred in Deathly Hallows – Part One in the role of magic historian Bathilda Bagshot.
Bagshot was a well known author of A History of Magic.
In the film, she is murdered off-screen before appearing as a reanimated corpse containing Voldemort’s snake, Nagini.
Douglas passed away on 8 September, 2016.
Sam Beazley (Professor Everard)
Appearing in just Order of the Phoenix, Beazley played Professor Everard, a former Hogwarts headmaster who appeared in a moving painting.
He died aged 101 on 12 June, 2017.
Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge)
Robert Hardy (Dave Hogan / Getty Images)
Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was portrayed in the Harry Potter films by Robert Hardy CBE.
He died on 3 August, 2017.
John Hurt (Garrick Ollivander)
John Hurt as Ollivander (Warner Bros)
A global legend of TV and film, Hurt made his name in numerous productions for decades before starring in the wizarding films.
He appeared in four films as Mr Ollivander, a wand-maker who ran a shop in Diagon Alley.
Hurt died on 25 January, 2017.
Verne Troyer (Griphook)
Verne Troyer (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Verne Troyer was arguably most famous for playing Mini Me in the Austin Powers films.
He also starred as Griphook in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone before being replaced by Warwick Davies.
Troyer died on 21 April, 2018.
Paul Ritter (Eldred Worple)
Paul Ritter (Dave J Hogan / Getty Images)
Starring in just Half-Blood Prince, Ritter starred as wizard Eldred Worple.
Arguable though he is better known for his iconic role on Friday Night Dinner as well as Chernobyl.
Ritter sadly died from a brain tumour on 5 April, 2021.
Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy)
(Jon Furniss / Getty Images)
Like Ritter, McCrory is probably better known for her work elsewhere after starring as Polly in Peaky Blinders.
In Potter she starred as Draco Malfoy’s mother, Narcissa.
She sadly died on 16 April, 2021.
Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid)
Hagrid (Warner Bros)
Coltrane starred as Hogwarts groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, best friend to headmaster Albus Dumbledore and a close mentor to Harry Potter.
The legendary Scot tragically died on 14 October 2022.
Leslie Phillips (The Sorting Hat)
Leslie Phillips (Radio Times / Getty Images)
As well as voicing The Sorting Hat in a number of Harry Potter movies, Phillips was well known for featuring in the Carry On films and the Grandad from the Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan.
After a long-running and successful acting career, he died on 7 November 2022.
His wife Zara described him as a ‘wonderful husband and national treasure’.
Beloved actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89.
In a statement issued via their publicist, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
Maggie Smith has passed away aged 89 (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
The legendary actress was perhaps most well known for her role as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter – heartbreakingly, she has become the 26th cast member to have died since the movies first became so loved all the way back in 2001.
Smith was also a beloved name throughout her entire career, with her being well known for her time on Downton Abbey and Sister Act.
Tributes have begun pouring in from fans online, devastated by the death of the beloved actor.
James Crooks, a film journalist, posted on Twitter saying: “An absolutely fantastic actress whose presence will be missed. So influential to British television and film too, what a shame.”
Gyles Brandreth posted a picture of the pair and said: “The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era & a quite extraordinary life.
“She was a truly great actress, “one of the greats” & simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful.
“One of a kind in every way & consequently irreplaceable.”
Another account posted on Twitter and said: “One of those news you think you’ll never hear because in your heart they’re just immortal.
“Rest in peace, Dame Maggie Smith. You’ll be deeply missed.”
One fan posted on Twitter to say: “Heartbreaking news. An iconic actress that will be dearly missed.”
Another pointed to her role in Harry Potter, saying: “Will always remember this as one of Maggie Smith’s most iconic scenes”.
Smith’s role as Minerva McGonagall was an iconic one, with Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe crediting her for getting him the role.
He said in 2011: “Well she got me the job at Potter, practically, so for anyone who doesn’t know that story, I basically owe everything to Maggie Smith because I worked with her on David Copperfield and then she came over to Potter as McGonagall and said to the director, you need to audition this boy.”
Gary Oldman, the actor who iconically played Sirius Black in the original set of Harry Potter films, has revealed he would be willing to come back as Dumbledore in the reboot TV show.
There has been a great deal of speculation on the possibility of returning characters, with many hoping that there will be some cast crossover from the films.
Whilst Warner Bros have put out their casting requirements for the main trio, you can imagine that Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson will have slightly aged out of their roles.
Oldman starred as Sirius in the films (Warner Brothers)
Other suggestions have been more reasonable than this, with the fitting if uncreative suggestion for Daniel Radcliffe to return as James Potter or Sirius Black.
Oldman, however, reckons he should come back if anyone as Dumbledore.
In an interview with Indiewire, he said that ‘no one’ has approached him to return as Sirius for the reboot, but that he still holds ‘a soft spot’ for the character.
He said: “I love Sirius. He wasn’t in it enough. He turned up and then he went through the veil”.
He went on to say: “I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people.
“Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore”, he said after clarifying he doesn’t expect to get a call to play Sirius Black again.
When discussing the upcoming reboot, Daniel Radcliffe was coy about the possibility of appearing in the series, but signs seem to be pointing away from this.
He said: “My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere.
“I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed.
“But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
David Vaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros, has previously said about the upcoming show:
“We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter,” the executive said.
The Harry Potter show casting call. (X/@jk_rowling)
“We are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max.”
Schedule to premiere in 2026, casting for the show has begun.
As OG Potterheads will constantly remind you, the books came before the films.
But in order for the first movie to get made, it needed the go-ahead from Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
The 58-year-old – who has been criticised for her views on transgender rights – made one big casting rule, which ended up getting broken a fair few times.
Director of the first two Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus, claims he was told that the cast of the films must be ‘100 percent British’.
This might not sound like the craziest of requests, until you realise that Robin Williams called the director and asked if he could be in Harry Potter as Hagrid, in which the answer would have been ‘no’.
Of course, the late great Robbie Coltrane did an incredible job, so we won’t begrudge anyone for that.
Although, there were, in fact, several non-British actors in the Harry Potter movies as a decent number of the cast were Irish, including both Dumbledore actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon.
Director of the first two Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus, claims he was told that the cast of the films must be ‘100 percent British’. (Warner Bros.)
Still, Rowling’s rule was really more concerned with her story about the boy wizard not being turned into an American-dominated tale by movie studios.
With that in mind, there were only two American actors actually got cast in the Harry Potter films, though you won’t have heard their voices when you watched the movies.
One of them was director Chris Columbus’ own daughter Eleanor, who appeared as Susan Bones, a girl who is sorted into Hufflepuff by the Sorting Hat during Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
She doesn’t have a speaking part in the film as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is far too preoccupied about his scar hurting and mistakenly thinking the cause is the death-glare he’s getting from Severus Snape (Alan Rickman).
While Harry is too engrossed in his own personal drama, Susan Bones gets sorted into Hufflepuff and then it’s Ron’s (Rupert Grint) turn to don the talking hat.
In a later appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she was played by Emma Jayne-Corboz.
Only two American actors actually got cast in the Harry Potter films. (Warner Bros.)
The other American who appears in the Harry Potter films also shows up in Philosopher’s Stone and that’s Verne Troyer, who provided the physical acting for Gringotts Bank goblin Griphook.
However, Warwick Davis provided the voice for Griphook and later played the role when the goblin banker returned for the final two films.
One could argue that there are technically three American actors in the Harry Potter films since Zoë Wanamaker was born in New York City, but when she was a child, her father was blacklisted due to his communist views.
He’d been over in England for a play at the time and upon hearing of his blacklisting decided to stay in the UK, meaning his daughter has British citizenship and has spent the vast majority of her life in the UK.
The new Harry Potter TV series has finally got a release date.
It feels like ages since HBO Max and Discovery+ officially announced a reboot of the Wizarding World was happening, and it’s still going to be a while until Potterheads can watch it.
This new show will be based on all seven instalments of the popular books, with each season said to follow each instalment.
And it was previously revealed that the Harry Potter series will allow audiences to discover their beloved story in a whole new way. But again, you’re going to have to wait.
Warner Bros. Discovery has now announced that the new TV series will land on the Max streaming service in 2026, as reported by IGN.
Speaking during a financial call, CEO David Zaslav spoke about the much anticipated Harry Potter project.
“We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter. The last film was made more than a dozen years ago,” he said.
“I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey [Bloys, President, HBO series] and Channing [Dungey, Chairman and CEO of the Warner Bros. Television Group] and we spent some real time with J. K. [Rowling] and her team. Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.
Warner Bros.
“We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max. We’re aiming for a debut in 2026.”
HBO and MAX content CEO Casey Bloys previously opened up about the new series and what it will look like for fans.
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” he said.
“Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World.
Warner Bros.
“In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”
It’s been well over a decade now since the final Harry Potter film, with Daniel Radcliffe, of course, in the titular role.
Many fans have been hoping he’d crop up in the series in some kind of cameo role but that isn’t look likely.
Radcliffe previously told ComicBook.com he’s ‘definitely not seeking it out in any way’.
“But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
