‘Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore’: A former ‘Harry Potter’ star wants to return for the TV show despite J.K. Rowling’s rampant transphobia
Despite feeling like it was only a few years ago, at least to those of us born before 2000, the Harry Potter movies have gotten on a bit, and so has the cast. Now, a TV reboot is on the way, and one former Harry Potter star wants to be part of it.
HBO’s Harry Potter television series is underway, with casting directors looking out for who they can cast in the iconic roles of Harry, Ron, and Hemione. It isn’t just the children that need to be recast, but the adult characters, too, as Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Hagrid, and Professor Dumbledore are all in need of new actors. One star from the movies would like to take a crack at the latter.
From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban onward, Gary Oldman played Sirius Black, James Potter’s best friend and godfather to Harry. Oldman played the character to perfection: cheeky, rebellious, and at times, a little irreverent. On the red carpet at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, Oldman spoke to IndieWire about whether or not he would be interested in being cast as his former character in the reboot. The actor responded, saying “No one’s approached me,” before adding, “I love Sirius. He wasn’t in it enough, he turned up and then he went through the veil.”
Oldman is now a little too old to be playing the character, who should be in his late 30s, given that the actor is now 66 years old. However, he is closer in age to another character, with Oldman stating, “Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.” Though he would be open to returning, he reckons that won’t be the case, saying, “I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people.”
Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling
The issue with the reboot has been that it is mired by the transphobia of the story’s author, J.K. Rowling. Many of the original cast have since distanced themselves from the author, stating that they do not support her stance, and have spoken out for trans rights. The new cast will now have to navigate these tricky waters and will undoubtedly be questioned about their stance on the issue.
Some actors may take issue with being involved in a production where Rowling has creative control. The author has already fallen out with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson over their trans rights stances, so a new cast may feel pressured to step in line. This is a position that many established actors will likely feel isn’t worth the effort, so we will have to see in the coming months who HBO will find to play these beloved characters.
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