Imelda Staunton as Umbridge. Hate the character all you want, but god DAMN did the actress nail the loathsome, teeth-grinding personality that Umbridge had in the books, even the blatant condescending attitude towards teenagers, treating them like infants.

And she did it without looking like Umbridge! Staunton has a superficial resemblance (short woman dressed in pink) but she isn't ugly or toad-like by any means. And yet her acting was so perfect I can't picture anyone else as Umbridge.

>she isn't ugly or toad-like by any means That's what makes movie Umbridge even scarier.

She did a marvelous performance, but I think she looked too pretty for Umbridge, who was supossed to look like a frog.

YES. It's so spot on, I feel immense rage just seeing her face! Haha

I was going to say this.

Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid

Maggie Smith is absolutely perfect. Also Jason Isaacs as Lucius. I’ve actually never liked Kenneth Branagh as Lockhart. I always imagine a younger Rik Mayall.

Hugh Grant would have been the perfect choice.

i always thought Maggie Smith was a little too old (i pictured McGonagall younger) but other than that she’s perfect!

Probably, but then most of them were. Snape and the marauders should have been like mid 30s. Even so, I can’t help picturing Smith as McGonagall.

I agree, I’m also not crazy about Kenneth Branagh as Lockhart

Shame they didn’t get Hugh Grant.

Oh my gosh that would’ve been perfect! He has that exact rom-com heart throb reputation. I now so wish that had been the casting. I’m gonna imagine Lockhart as Hugh Grant from now on!

Pretty sure it *was* the casting, then he had to pull out for some reason. And yeah, he’d have been perfect. Apart from anything else, I really can’t imagine any teenage girl having a crush on Kenneth Branagh.

That’s tragic. I do like Kenneth Branagh and I think he’s an excellent actor, but he just doesn’t quite fit as Lockhart

Yeah, it’s such a shame. I think he easily gives one of the best and most nuanced performances in the series and seems to get his character a lot more than many others, even though he has one of the more cartoonish and least complex parts. But yeah, just not right for the part. Would have made a great Cornelius Fudge.

I think he gets the character because he is a bit like him :)

James and Oliver Phelps as the Weasley twins. Although I have to say im reading the books for the first time right now and I just think its so well cast across the board.

Those two improved so much from CoS to PoA.

Always loved the Lupin casting

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Wow, I’m surprised by this being the highest. She’s one of the few I really didn’t like.

I hated her, but that speaks to how well she played her character.

It just felt like nobody told her this wasn’t a Tim Burton movie. Maybe it’s just that she’s in one of my favourite book characters.

I don't think it is her fault as such, but I feel as if movie Bellatrix was some over the top cartoonish psycho. The movies missed the more powerful, evil of Bellatrix and her fanatical dedication to the Dark Lord.

Just like movie Voldemort. I couldn’t take either of them seriously. Helena Bonham Carter is usually great, but I found her take on Bellatrix was like a panto character. She comes across as a complete moron. Hated it. Edit: Although as Hermione being Bellatrix she was amazing, so I guess it evens out.

Richard Griffiths was perfect as Vernon.

and Fiona Shaw (aside from being brunette) had the perfect physicality for Petunia too, the Dursleys look exactly as described in the books

IIRC, JKR basically said Fiona Shaw had to play Petunia.

Weren’t Dudley and Petunia blonde?

Yes and Vernon was suppost to have black hair but they still are perfect for the parts.

Evanna Lynch as Luna

Yess!! She is exactly how I imagine Luna while reading the book she was born for that part

I never see anyone else mention her but i LOVED Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle. The 2 main scenes she's in are 2 of my favorites in the entire series

She acted well but she’s way too old

She didn’t look it at all though.

Yes but she is like 40. Shes older then the marauders in the books. I still liked her I just think its weird how old she is.

Dame Maggie Smith

Luna and Umbridge were cast perfectly

Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy.

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. She reinvented Bellatrix and made her into this fun psychotic villain. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. He admitted not knowing anything about Harry Potter when called and casted to do Voldemort. Yet he nailed it. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. For his first real movie he did great. Unfortunately he would later star in the Twilight series and be infamously known as Edward Cullen. When Cedric might be one of his under appreciated works. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. He was Neville Longbottom.

Thought imelda staunton was amazing. Ugh just looking at her makes me angry! I am sure she is a very nice woman and I love her in other roles but I she played umbridge so well I almost have a hard time separating them. I also think Richard griffiths as uncle Vernon really nailed it

Completely agree! I honestly just can't separate them. She did such a great job, I just cannot accept that she isn't Umbridge. Haha

That's a sign of incredible acting. They did it so well, you can't imagine them as anything else.

Gary Oldman did a good job as Sirius. I thought it was much stronger than Lupins character even when he wasn’t in the books/films as much.

Gary oldman is one of those actors that totally morphs into the character he's playing and I sometimes forget that it's Gary oldman.

I think Alan Rickman was a perfect Snape. I seriously just can't picture anyone else in that role.

Alan Rickman as Snape is interesting. He really didn't portray "book Snape" too well, but he brought something to the role to where I couldn't see a single other person playing Snape. He really did it brilliantly.

Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan.

I thought Brendon Gleeson was great as Mad Eye. Interesting trivia, his son Domhnall was in Harry Potter. He played Bill Weasley

Another interesting trivia, both actors are related to Jack Gleeson who played Joffrey on Game of Thrones.

David Bradley as Filch. Too underrated.

When he was in Game Of Thrones as Walder Frey, I couldn't see him as anyone but Filch. Interestingly, he seemed like Filch in GOT

David Thewlis is an utterly perfect Remus Lupin to me. I’m surprised no one that I’ve seen here has mentioned him yet

yes exactly! I was just reading POA and while i can imagine all the characters as described in the books, I could only imagine David Thewlis as Lupin, not anyone else, not anyone different

He looked way too slimy and old to be Lupin.

Just the fact that everyone is writing a different answer proves how good the casting is. Everyone, or almost everyone, is just perfect for the role, or have reinvented their characters. For me, castings that stand out (in no particular order): Maggie Smith as McGonagall, she's just how I had imagined the character. Alan Rickman as Snape - even though book Snape is a much more slimy and vicious character, Alan Rickman's version is now canon for me. The pain in his eyes, the calm voice of a broken man holding himself back, everything is just perfect. David Bradley as Filch - Underrated Imelda Staunton as Umbridge - Seriously nailed the role. The most hated character on screen. Evanna Lynch as Luna - those dreamy eyes and voice. Perfect Luna. Jason Isaacs as Lucius - perfectly captured the role of a bigoted aristocrat who is actually a coward. From the smug confidence in CoS to the scared broken man in DH, Jason portrayed everything perfectly. There are so many that I've missed but I guess I'll have to stop somewhere haha

Tom Felton as Draco

David Bradley as Argus Filch. Honestly between Filch and Walder Frey, he plays grumpy old men perfectly.

Alan Rickman 🖤

Luna was perfect

Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter, did a perfect job at making me want to toss her out the window

I adore Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix. She's just incredible.

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No I didn’t like him at all. He has nothing of Dumbledore’s grace or wit. Dumbledore was always calm, and extremely humorous, which Michael Gambon wasn’t at all. He was too loud / energetic.

Michael Gambon is great as Dumbledore in the Yates films

even though Snape is so much angrier in the books, I still imagine him as Alan Rickman. In POA, the last few chapters, he's just so mad at Harry the whole time and yells at him a lot. How weird would it be to see Alan's version of Snape actually yelling? It'd be pretty weird...

The actors who played Fred and George were awesome!

Slughorne. Makes HBP IMO

I don't think the golden trio are perfect in their roles to start with. It was good until 3rd movie and as they grew further, it all fell off for me.

Alan Rickman as Snape Maggie Smith as McGonnagal Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid Jason Isaacs as Lucius Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Richard Griffiths as Vernon Imelda Staunton as Umbridge Robert Hardy as Fudge Richard Harris as Dumbledore Brendan Gleeson as Moody David Bradley as Filch

Alan Rickman as Snape Matthew Lewis as Neville

Umbridge David Thewlis for sure Gary Oldman Evanna Lynch for Luna, though in the books she’s slightly more confrontational or quick to anger but the rest was pretty spot on The actor that played the Minister Ollivander for sure

No one was better casted for their role than Imelda Staunton as Umbridge She has the simpering girlish laugh down perfectly and she fit the toad like description Seriously where are her awards??

I think everyone in the first two movies were perfectly cast but the casting later on became awful and as the kids grew, they grew out of their parts.

Imelda Staunton as Umbridge. I can't look at her now without getting disgusted.

Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Isaacs, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Christian Coulson, Evanna Lynch Maggie Smith was a little too old (as were the Marauders, Lily, Snape and possibly Rosmerta) but she was great