Outside of the young trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Albus Dumbledore served one of the most crucial roles in the Harry Potter franchise - but the character was recast after the second movie. Dumbledore was initially played by Irish actor Richard Harris when J.K. Rowling's books were adapted into movies by Warner Bros. Pictures. Following the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore was recast, and here's why.
When the role of the Hogwarts Headmaster was initially being cast ahead of 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, actors Patrick McGoohan and Sean Connery were targeted for the part. The key role eventually went to Harris, and the actor expected to play the part throughout the entire film franchise. He initially hesitated to take the role due to his health, but Harris was encouraged by his young granddaughter. Harris perfectly embodied the exceptional wizard and Harry's mentor in the first two installments of the franchise.
Prior to the release of Chamber of Secrets in November 2002, Harris' health took a turn for the worse. After being hospitalized with an illness, Harris was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He remained upbeat and told Alfonso Cuarón, the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, not to recast his part. The actor sadly passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma a few months later at the age of 72. The Harry Potter film series was then tasked with recasting the role of Dumbledore in the hopes that the next actor could stick around for the remainder of the franchise.
Cuarón and the rest of the Harry Potter crew spent months trying to refill the role of Dumbledore for Prisoner of Azkaban - and beyond. A number of popular and established actors were considered for the role, including Christopher Lee, who was a top pick but couldn't commit due to scheduling conflicts. Fellow Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen was also considered but felt uncomfortable taking the role due to his rocky relationship with Harris. After Peter O'Toole's age and health status became worrisome, the producers went with Michael Gambon as Harris' official replacement as Dumbledore.
Gambon, another Irish-born actor, played Dumbledore for the remaining six films in the Harry Potter series. His portrayal became one of the actor's best-known roles, but his version of the character was drastically different than his predecessor. This threw many viewers off at first, but his prominence and longevity in the franchise won fans over. The actor decided early on that he wouldn't try to copy Harris' performance and, instead, made Dumbledore his own. The circumstances were unfortunate, but Gambon stepped up in a time of need and gave the beloved book character a special on-screen counterpart.
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