Your support helps us to tell the story
In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I've witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.
Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to fight for truth and justice.
Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact lives
Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Gary Oldman has suggested that he could play Albus Dumbledore in the new HBO Harry Potter series but fans might have to wait “a few years” to see if it comes to fruition.
An open casting call was launched earlier this month for children from the UK and Ireland to audition for the lead roles for HBO’s forthcoming television adaptation based on JK Rowling’s best-selling books about the boy wizard.
The TV adaption was confirmed by HBO Max last year and aims to be a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling”. The series is expected to run for a decade, with each season based on one of the seven Rowling books.
Oldman, who recently won rave reviews for his performance in Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, starred in the original run of Harry Potter movies made between 2001 and 2011 as Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black. He played the character four times.
Speaking to IndieWire at Sunday night’s Emmys ceremony (15 September), Oldman admitted that “no one’s approached me” about reprising the role for the new television series.
He added: “I love Sirius. He wasn’t in it enough. He turned up and then he went through the veil.”
However, he did have ideas about playing another well-known character in the series. The 66-year-old Oscar winner continued: “I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people. Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.”
To date, three actors have played Dumbledore in live-action movies. Richard Harris played the Hogwarts headmaster in both the Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. His death in 2002 saw Michael Gambon cast as the character, which he played for the remaining movies.
Jude Law has played a younger version of Dumbledore in both Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
In May, Oldman cleared up his previous criticism of his Harry Potter performances, which he had called “mediocre.” Speaking at the Cannes press conference for his new movie Parthenope, Oldman said, according to Variety: “What I meant by that is, as any artist or any actor or painter, you are always hypercritical of your own work.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“If you’re not, and you’re satisfied with what you’re doing, that would be death to me. If I watched a performance of myself and thought, ‘My God, I’m fantastic in this,’ that would be a sad day.”
He shared that when he “started Harry Potter, all I had was the book, The Prisoner of Azkaban and that one representation of that man. One book in the library of Sirius Black”.
“And that’s kind of what I meant by it. It’s not me looking at the movie and saying it’s a terrible film or I’m terrible, I just wish it had been under different circumstances,” he said. “That’s what I meant, not to be rude to any of the people out there who like that film.”
