Dozens of actors from the
United Kingdom and
Ireland portrayed or voiced characters appearing in the
Harry Potter film series based on the
book series by
J. K. Rowling. In all the films,
Daniel Radcliffe played
Harry Potter,
Rupert Grint played
Ron Weasley and
Emma Watson played
Hermione Granger. When they were cast only Radcliffe had previously acted in a film. Complementing them on screen are such actors as
Helena Bonham Carter,
Jim Broadbent,
John Cleese,
Robbie Coltrane,
Warwick Davis,
Ralph Fiennes,
Michael Gambon,
Brendan Gleeson,
Richard Griffiths,
Richard Harris,
John Hurt,
Jason Isaacs,
Miriam Margolyes,
Helen McCrory,
Gary Oldman,
Alan Rickman,
Fiona Shaw,
Maggie Smith,
Timothy Spall,
Imelda Staunton,
David Thewlis,
Emma Thompson, and
Julie Walters, among others. Thirteen actors appeared as the same character in all eight films of the series. Some well-known British actors who have not appeared in the series were asked in jest why they had not been cast. When
David Yates was directing the
fifth film,
Bill Nighy (who knew Yates personally) said that he hoped the director would cast him in
Harry Potter. "But nobody called", Nighy added. However, in 2009, Yates cast Nighy as Minister of Magic
Rufus Scrimgeour in the seventh film. Nighy said, "I am no longer the only English actor not to be in
Harry Potter and I am very pleased."
Jude Law once quipped, "Nobody's asked me. I was a bit too old for Harry." He would later be cast as a younger
Albus Dumbledore in
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. J. K. Rowling gave a speech at the premiere of the final film in the series,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, on 7 July 2011 in
London. Rowling praised the film series' acting talent and announced that there are seven young
Harry Potter cast members whom she refers to as "The Big Seven"; they are Radcliffe, Grint, Watson,
Tom Felton,
Matthew Lewis,
Evanna Lynch and
Bonnie Wright. ==Cast and characters==