All of the 27 Harry Potter actors that were actually replaced during filming

Over the course of the ten years, Harry Potter producers have re-cast a huge total of actors throughout the franchise.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that after making eight movies over the span of ten years, some actors would have to be re-cast.

But when it comes to Harry Potter, it wasn't just one or two actors who got replaced but a grand total of 27.

Of course the main characters themselves stayed the same - Harry Potter being played by anyone else other than Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t sit easy with us.

But here are the people that were replaced by different actors over the course of filming the movies.

Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore was originally played by Richard Harris (Warner Bros)

Perhaps one of the best-known recasts came for the character of Dumbledore, who was played by Richard Harris in the first two movies.

However, the actor sadly passed away in 2002, and so the Hogwarts headmaster was eventually recast with Michael Gambon taking on the role.

Bill Weasley

Domnhall Gleeson played Bill Weasley in later movies. (Warner Bros.)

Another big name in the Harry Potter world to undergo a change behind the scenes was Bill, one of the Weasley children.

Richard Fish was the first actor to take on the role, though fans may know he didn't have any lines during his five-second appearance in The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Bill Weasley made a comeback in The Deathly Hallows, this time portrayed by Domhall Gleeson, marking a significant change in the character's portrayal.

Gleeson's father is Brendan Gleeson, who played Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody in The Goblet of Fire.

The Fat Lady

It's not often that filmmakers would have to recast a painting, but anything can happen in the Wizarding World!

Viewers first catch sight of the portrait of the Fat Lady in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, where the character is played by Elizabeth Spriggs.

However, the singing and drunken Gryffindor common room guard is later replaced in Prisoner of Azkaban by comedian and actor Dawn French.

Dawn French later played The Fat Lady (Warner Bros)

The Grey Lady (Helena Ravenclaw)

Just like the painting, a ghost named 'The Grey Lady' isn't a presence you'd expect to change much over time.

However, while Nina Young played the ghost in the first two movies, the role was later taken over by Kelly Macdonald in The Deathly Hallows Part II.

In the later film, the Grey Lady is later revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw, who tells Harry where to locate her mother's lost diadem, which Voldemort had turned into one of his Horcruxs.

The Grey Lady was also recast (Warner Bros)

Cedric Diggory

Yes, you heard me right.

Sure, the character of Cedric Diggory is best known as being played by Robert Pattinson - but that wasn't always the case.

In Prisoner of Azkaban, Cedric can be spotted playing as the seeker for Hufflepuff in the Quidditch match which sees Harry fall from his broom after being attacked by a Dementor.

In those scenes, he was played by stuntman Joe Livermore.

Ceddric Diggory is one of Robert Pattinson's earlier recognisable roles. (Warner Bros.)

Katie Bell

Another Quidditch team member was Katie Bell, who was originally played by Emily Dale.

Dale had no lines as Katie in the first two movies, and she didn't feature in the next three films.

However, she returned in the sixth instalment when she was replaced by Georgina Leonidas, who played the character as she was being tortured by a cursed opal necklace.

Katie Bell's most notable appearance was her getting tortured by a necklace (Warner Bros)

Angelina Johnson

Angelina Johnson, another chaser in the Gryffindor Quidditch team, was originally played by Daniella Tabo in the first three films.

However, Tiana Benjamin took over the role when Angelina became Fred Weasley's date to the Yule Ball in The Goblet of Fire.

Daniella Tabo played chaser Angelina Johnson on the team. (Warner Bros.)

Alicia Spinnet

Sticking with the sports, Leilah Sutherland was the first actor to portray the Gryffindor Quidditch team chaser.

She was later replaced by Rochelle Douglas in Chamber of Secrets.

Chaser Alicia Spinnet was also recast (Warner Bros)

Lavender Brown

You might know Lavender as Ron's obsessive girlfriend who called him by the not-so-adorable nickname 'Won won' - vomit.

But the character was actually played by three different actors throughout the movie series.

Lavender was originally played by Kathleen Cauley in Chamber of Secrets and later replaced by Jennifer Smith in Prisoner of Azkaban, before the character was recast for a third time - with Jessie Cave taking on the role.

The recast also faced backlash from some fans due to a white actor taking over from two Black actors as soon as the role became more prominent.

Lavender Brown was very passionate about Ron. (Warner Bros)

Susan Bones

A Hufflepuff half-blood witch, Susan was first played by director Chris Columbus' daughter, Eleanor.

After the first two movies, the character next appeared in the franchise in The Deathly Hallows with a slightly different look, due to the fact Emma Jayne-Corboz had taken over the role.

Susan Bones was played by Chris Columbus' daughter (Warner Bros)

Ernie Macmillan

Hufflepuff student Ernie Macmillian was originally played by Louis Doyle.

But in Deathly Hallows, the character was taken over by actor Jamie Marks.

Louis Doyle portrayed Ernie in The Chamber of Secrets (Warner Bros)

Parvati Patil

Sitara Shah first took on the role of Lavender's best friend, however Screen Rant reports that she was later replaced by Shefali Chowdhury.

The recast is reported to have taken place because Shah looked too young to continue playing the role - particularly in Goblet of Fire when Parvati and her twin Padma go to the Yule Ball with Harry and Ron.

Padma Patil

In Prisoner of Azkaban, Padma is played by Sharon Sandhu before Afshan Azad took over the role in time to be Ron's date to the Yule Ball.

This was not a happy ball. (Warner Bros.)

Pansy Parkinson

Up there with one of the most-recast characters is Pansy Parkinson, best mate to Draco Malfoy and, of course, a Slytherin.

Pansy was played by a whopping four different actors throughout the franchise, first by Katherine Nicholson, and later by Lauren Shotton.

Pansy was later recast as Genevieve Gaunt before Scarlett Hefner saw the character through the rest of the franchise.

Pansy Parkinson was part of Draco's gang (Warner Bros)

Griphook

Yep, even goblins can be recast.

American actor Verne Troyer - best known for the Austin Powers movies - played the role of the goblin who escorts Harry and Hagrid through Gringotts Bank in Philosopher's Stone.

However, the character was later voiced in the films by Warwick Davis - a familiar face in Harry Potter.

Davis had already played Professor Filius Flitwick in the franchise, and later took on the additional role of Griphook in Deathly Hallows Part One and Two.

Warwick Davis later took over the role of the goblin. (Warner Bros)

Kreacher

The House of Black house-elf - who, it's fair to say, wasn't a massive fan of Harry - was voiced by two different actors over the course of the eight movies.

Timothy Bateson was the first actor to take on the role, however, after Bateson sadly passed away in 2009, the role had to be re-cast and Simon McBurney took over.

Kreacher was the Black family's house elf (Warner Bros)

Tom the Innkeeper

Tom was originally actually quite a jolly character, portrayed initially in the Sorcerer's Stone by Derek Deadman.

However, this version of the character contrasts greatly with Jim Tavaré's hunchbacked recreation of the character, who under director Alfonso Cuarón, created a much more sinister version of the innkeeper.

Tom The Innkeeper was recast in the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros)

Elphias Doge

The Ministry of Magic jurist, member of the Order of the Phoenix and one of Dumbledore's oldest friends was first played by Peter Cartwright.

David Ryall later took over the role in The Deathly Hallows.

David Ryall later took over the role (Warner Bros)

Walden Macnair

A Dark Wizard and Death Eater, Walden briefly worked at the Ministry of Magic before returning to work for He Who Must Not Be Named.

Walden was originally played by Peter Best in Azkaban before Ashley Artus took over the role in Goblet of Fire.

However, in a bit of a plot twist, Best returned to the character in Order of the Phoenix.

Walden was then re-cast for a third time for both parts of The Deathly Hallows - played by Granville Saxton.

Peter Best initially portayed the character for two movies (Warner Bros)

Tom Riddle

Before he became The Dark Lord, Tom Riddle was just another Hogwarts student and first appeared in Chamber of Secrets, played by Christian Coulson.

In the sixth film, Riddle was re-cast, with Frank Dillane taking on the role.

Christian Coulson played Tom Riddle in The Chamber of Secrets (Warner Bros)

Lord Voldemort

Technically a different character to Tom Riddle - especially after ripped apart his own soul, Voldemort joins the list of characters who were recast.

Richard Bremmer first took on the terrifying role in the fiery scenes of Philosopher's Stone, but The Dark Lord was later portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the franchise.

Voldemort's appearance changed a lot over the years. (Warner Bros.)

Aberforth Dumbledore

The younger brother of Albus Dumbledore was played by Jim McManus during his fleeting appearance in Order of the Phoenix as a barman.

The role was later taken over by Ciarán Hinds for Deathly Hallows Part Two.

Ciarán Hinds played Aberforth Dumbledore (Warner Bros)

Gellert Grindelwald

Last but not least, we have Gellert Grindelwald, who featured mainly in the Fantastic Beasts movie - one which is considered by many Harry Potter fans as still being part of the infamous franchise.

Johnny Depp initially portrayed Gellert Grindelward (Warner Bros)

The character of Grindelwald started off being portrayed by Johnny Depp, however, Warner Bros cut ties with Depp as a result of the accusations and legal battles between Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

In The Secrets of Dumbledore, the role was taken over by Hannibal star, Mads Mikkelsen.

Topics: Film and TV, Harry Potter