The Harry Potter movies remain one of the most popular and beloved franchises in history.
And it's not just the compelling story that keeps viewers coming back for more, but the delightful performances seen throughout the franchise's eight movies. Whether an actor appeared in every single movie or just popped up for a quick cameo, it's safe to say that each actor in the franchise left an impression on the fans.
Sadly, considering the fact that the first movie was released 22 years ago, Harry Potter fans have been forced to say goodbye to some of the stars who made the Wizarding World so wonderful.
Here, we remember the stars who brought the magic of Harry Potter to life with their incredible performances.
The following actors all sadly passed away before the movie franchise had completed...
Richard Harris
Richard Harris (October 1, 1930 - October 25, 2002), who played the wizarding headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, in the first two movies passed away in 2002. Michael Gambon took over the iconic role for the rest of the franchise.
Robert Knox
Robert Knox (August 21, 1989 - May 24, 2008) played Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and was signed to star in the next film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
However, he was tragically stabbed to death in London in 2008, as per The Guardian. The actor was only 18 years old.
Elizabeth Spriggs
Elizabeth Spriggs (September 18, 1929 - July 2, 2008) played the character The Fat Lady - a living portrait - in the first film.
Timothy Bateson
Timothy Bateson (April 3, 1926 - September 15, 2009) voiced the animated male house elf, Kreacher, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The role was taken over by Simon McBurney in Deathly Hallows, following Bateson’s death.
Jimmy Gardner
Jimmy Gardner (August 24, 1924 - May 3, 2010) was an English actor who served in World War Two. He played Ernie Prang, the driver of the Knight Bus, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Alfred Burke
Alfred Burke (February 28, 1918 - February 16, 2011) played Professor Armando Dippet in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was to be his final acting role before his death.
Other cast members have passed away since the franchise was completed:
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes (May 4, 1923 - July 4, 2012) was a scriptwriter as well as an actor. He played muggle, Frank Bryce, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths (July 31, 1947 - March 28, 2013) played Harry Potter’s Uncle, Vernon Dursley, who was cruel to Potter and hated anything to do with magic.
Peter Cartwright
Peter Cartwright (August 30, 1935 - November 18, 2013) starred as Elphias Doge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but did not reprise the role in Deathly Hallows.
Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd Pack (February 8, 1944 - January 15, 2014) was best known for his role as Trigger in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, however, he also appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Bartemius Crouch Senior.
The character was a pure-blood wizard but was murdered by his son Bartemius Crouch Junior, who had turned into a Death Eater.
Dave Legeno
Dave Legeno (October 12, 1963 - July 12, 2014) starred in the final three Harry Potter movies as the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback.
He tragically died while hiking in Death Valley, California, where it is believed his cause of death may have been due to heat stroke, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Derek Deadman
Derek Deadman (March 11, 1940 - November 22, 2014) played Tom the Landlord from The Leaky Cauldron, a popular wizarding pub in the movie, which could be found at the entrance to the famous Diagon Alley.
David Ryall
David Ryall (January 5, 1935 - December 25, 2014) actually took over the role of Elphias Doge from the late Peter Cartwright. Ryall starred as Doge in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman (February 21, 1946 - January 14, 2016) played a pretty big part in the Potter franchise as Professor Severus Snape, so the fandom were devastated when the actor passed away in 2016.
It was revealed that Rickman had actually been suffering from aggressive cancer at the time of filming the franchise. However, the actor agreed to carry on, despite his diagnosis. In his journals that were released as a book earlier this year, per Hello Magazine, Rickman wrote: “Finally, yes to HP 5.
“The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says: See it through. It’s your story.”
Terence Bayler
Terence Bayler (January 24, 1930 - August 2, 2016), an actor from New Zealand notably starred in Monty Python’s Life of Brian and the first Harry Potter movie as The Bloody Baron, a ghost of Slytherin House.
Hazel Douglas
Hazel Douglas (November 2, 1923 - September 8, 2016) starred as Professor Bathilda Bagshot, who is a witch and notably the author of the wizarding book, A History of Magic.
John Hurt
John Hurt (January 22, 1940 - January 25, 2017) was a legendary English actor whose career spanned over five decades. As part of that, he appeared as Garrick Ollivander, the “best wandmaker in the world” in three of the Potter movies.
Sam Beazley
Sam Beazley (March 29, 1916 - June 12, 2017) first appears as a painting of Professor Everard in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The British actor made it to live over a century before he passed away at 101 years old.
Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy (October 29, 1925 - August 3, 2017) was a distinguished British actor renowned for his extensive career in film, television, and stage spanning over seven decades. He is perhaps best recognized for his portrayal of Siegfried Farnon in the long-running BBC series All Creatures Great and Small, but gained international fandom for his remarkable performance as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter film series.
Verne Troyer
Verne Troyer (January 1, 1969 - April 21, 2018) was an American actor and stuntman who portrayed Griphook in the first Harry Potter movie. However, he never voiced the part and was later replaced by Warwick Davis for the Deathly Hallows adaptations.
Simon Paul Ritter
Simon Paul Ritter (December 20, 1966 - April 5, 2021) known as Paul Ritter, played wizard Eldred Worple in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The English actor sadly died of a brain tumor in 2021.
Helen McCrory
Helen McCrory (August 17, 1968 - April 16, 2021) played Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of Harry Potter's rival, Draco. The actor sadly passed away from a battle with breast cancer back in 2021. She was also known for her role as Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders.
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane (March 30, 1950 - October 14, 2022) left Potterheads devastated when he passed away earlier this year. One of the best-loved characters, Coltrane played Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant, half-human gamekeeper at Hogwarts in all eight of the movies.
On hearing of Coltrane’s death, Daniel Radcliffe said per Variety: “I feel incredibly lucky that I got to meet and work with him and very sad that he’s passed. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”
Lesley Phillips
Lesley Phillips (April 20, 1924 - November 7, 2022) voiced The Sorting Hat throughout the Harry Potter franchise. The veteran actor is perhaps best known for his cheeky roles in the Carry On movies, but due to his career spanning nine decades, it's safe to say he left a huge mark on the acting industry.
Paul Grant
Paul Grant (February 3, 1967 - March 20, 2023) was a British actor and stuntman who appeared as a goblin in the first Harry Potter movie, and also starred as an Ewok in Star Wars Episode VI.
He was found unconscious outside of a London train station earlier this year. In a statement to The Sun, his daughter, Sophie, said: "I'm devastated. My dad was a legend in so many ways. He always brought a smile and laughter to everyone's face. He would do anything for anyone and was a massive Arsenal fan. He was an actor, father, and grandad."
Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon (October 19, 1940 - September 28, 2023) did the unthinkable in the Harry Potter franchise - taking over from the legendary Richard Harris to continue bringing the character of Dumbledore to life.
Amazingly, many Potter fans can't pick a favorite between the two - as they believe Harris' softer tones suit the franchise's more innocent beginnings, whereas Gambon dominates as the powerful wizard in the story's darker climax.
Each and every one of these actors contributed to making the movie franchise what it is today, and whether their role be big or small, they will be hugely missed.
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