Sir Stephen Fry has been the voice of the Harry Potter series for a generation, narrating the beloved UK audiobooks for years.
Now, as the magical world is set for a small-screen revival, Sir Stephen has revealed that he would be open to a role in the upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation - so consider this his pitch Harry Potter casting agents.
On Thursday, fans were abuzz with excitement after reports surfaced that six-time Emmy winner John Lithgow is in ‘final talks’ to play Albus Dumbledore in the highly anticipated HBO series. With the news of a reboot sparking passionate reactions worldwide, the casting of the new golden trio—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—has been a hot topic of speculation.
But amid all the discussion, Sir Stephen, who has previously worked with Lithgow on films, A Civil Action and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, has thrown his full support behind the actor taking on the wise and powerful headmaster.
While attending the Newport Beach Film Festival Honours in London, where he received the prestigious Icon Award, Sir Stephen addressed the Harry Potter rumours. When asked if he had been approached for a role, he responded candidly: “Well, I'd certainly consider it like I consider anything, you know, that's interesting. No, as far as I know, I haven't been—I better check with my agent. I don't know if they ran it past me,” he told The Standard.
He went on to praise Lithgow’s potential casting as Dumbledore, calling it a “wonderful” choice. “I've worked with him. He's a terrific actor. He'll be brilliant. He's almost made for little glasses like that, isn't he?” the 67-year-old remarked.
As for who he could play in the expansive Wizarding World, he playfully entertained a few ideas: “I don't know who I would play, too old for anybody in that world—Minister of Magic or something like that. Cornelius Fudge, is that his name? For all I know, they've already casted.”
Acknowledging the ambitious nature of the series, Fry expressed his amazement: “It's enormous—they’re doing seven episodes of each book, is that right? So it would be 49 episodes. It's pretty serious. So there's always that [Fudge], or I could be the Fat Lady in the portrait.”
Fry’s appearance at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honours was not just about Harry Potter—the veteran actor was recognized with the highest accolade of the evening, the prestigious Icon Award.
The award celebrates his remarkable contribution to the UK and Ireland entertainment industries, with a career spanning more than 25 years. In his acceptance speech, Fry reflected on his journey: “I grew up hopeless at everything and mocked at school,” he admitted, before praising the “extraordinary” power of storytelling.
He also acknowledged the rising talent in the industry, saying: “To see the talent coming up on this stage… the wit and fire and diversity of these young people… I hope in 20 to 30 years, they will win one of these Icon awards.”
The Newport Beach Film Festival made a grand return to London on Thursday night, celebrating excellence in UK and Ireland’s creative industries with a star-studded ceremony at Raffles London at The OWO hotel.
Hosted by Edith Bowman and Cat Deeley, Emma Corrin, Felicity Jones, and Sharon Horgan were honoured as Artists of Distinction for their outstanding contributions to the UK and Ireland’s creative landscape.
Accepting her award, Horgan shared: “I took this year off writing to live a little and get inspired, and genuinely I’ve been so inspired by everyone honoured tonight… Your work is brilliant.”
One Day’s Ambika Mod received one of the inaugural Spotlight award, recognising rising talent at a pivotal career moment. In her speech, she said: “One Day has been the gift that keeps on giving. I want to see more brown women on TV—I hope this is the start of that.” Also honoured in this category were Jessica Gunning, Joe Alwyn, and Will Sharpe.
The Breakout honourees included Adam Pearson, Joe Locke, Marisa Abela, and Mia Threapleton. Pearson, reflecting on using his platform, stated: “I am acutely aware that I am so lucky to do what I do, and I am acutely aware that I need to use my platform to throw a ladder down to prospective talent coming up.
“I want to separate disability and inability - storytelling is all about risk.”
Variety’s 10 Brits to Watch for 2025 were also celebrated, highlighting emerging stars across the entertainment industry. This year’s list featured Abigail Thorn, Ava Wong-Davies, Erin Kellyman, Mia Tharia, Michelle de Swarte, Nabhaan Rizwan, Rich Peppiatt, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Varada Sethu, and Xander Parish.
