Monday, July 16, 2007

British Muggles

So many famous Brit actors have been in the Harry Potter movies that one wonders about the no-shows. Where were Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves, Terence Stamp, Brenda Blethyn, Charles Dance, Julian Sands, Emily Lloyd, Jeremy Northam, Ian McKellen, Rupert Everett?

Not interested or snubbed? More on this & Imelda @ Zoom In. It's "Harry Potter and the Order of the British Thespians"

28 comments:

Glenn Dunks said...

Well, I guess the day that Rupert Everett gets off his arse and does something more than be a bored voiceover in Shrek maybe he'll be in it.

I can imagine McKellen has franchise fatigue, too.

Unknown said...

I saw it this weekend and, once again, enjoyed watching all the great Brit actors have fun. Maggie Smith's part was really just a cameo this time, and Julie Walter's wasn't much bigger. Pity. It would have been nice to see Julie Christie again. Imelda was terrific. Best Supporting Actress nom terrific. She does amazing things with her facial muscles. Loved her.

Anonymous said...

Alan Rickman's sneers and eye-rolling always make me giggle - he's one of the joys of the Potter franchise. HBC was also wonderfully over-the-top. Too bad the plot is so busy that there's not more time for all of the fine actors. I would especially have liked seeing more of Emma Thompson this time, or at least more wailing. Agree that Imelda was brilliant.

Anonymous said...

Julian Sands in one of these films would get me to the theater on opening day.

Neel Mehta said...

With the mini-Sense and Sensibility reunion -- Emma Thompson, Gemma Jones, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, Elizabeth Spriggs -- I have to ask:

Where's Hugh Laurie?

Maybe he can be R.A.B. or something.

Jason Adams said...

I'm seeing Order tomorrow night and have no doubts that Imelda will be wonderful, but Nat I remembered who it was that I thought would've been perfect for Umbridge (that I was drunkenly forgetting the other day): Miriam Margolyes, who played Prof. Sprout in the 2nd movie. Rowling's descriptions of Umbridge from the book read like a topographical map of Margolyes' face. But I love Staunton and am prepared to love her as the character.

I would lose my mind if Jeremy Northam showed up in a Harry Potter movie.

Anonymous said...

Alan Rickman really did make the best of those 5 (max) minutes he was in the movie, same goes for all the greats - the ones you named plus of course Ralph Fiennes,David Thewlis, Jason Isaacs and even Brendan Gleeson...I just wish they'd give them more to do.

Hugh Laurie would surely be brilliant, but I'd be satisfied with more Emma Thompson as Trelawney.

Anyway, as long as they never mention Hugh Grant again I'm allright!

Anonymous said...

I love Rickman's performance as well and I can't wait for Half-Blood Prince, which really should be his movie.

I wonder who'll they will cast as Narcissa Malfoy and Rufus Scrimgeour?

Anonymous said...

I've been hearing rumors that Naomi Watts wants the role of Narcissa Malfoy (I wouldn't mind)...and where is Kate Winslet in any of these roles?...And they asked Ian McKellen for Dumbledore, but he passed when Richard Harris died (Since he was doing 2 trilogies at the time...) Emma Thompson was great in the 5 minutes she was in, and yes, Imelda Staunton was great and it is Best Supporting Actress material...I have been hearing rumors that this isn't the last we will see of her (I've heard she comes up in the Dealthy Hallows...) but I don't know if it's true...

J.D. said...

There's been rumors for a while that Narcissa could be Naomi Watts, which would be AWESOME, although I haven't read the book to have a preconceived notion of what she would look like, so... would she be okay?

But let's not forget everyone: it's the kid's movie. And thank god they're getting better actors as time goes on, right?

And, if it's any consolation, I'm renting Vera Drake tomorrow. I finally have an excuse to!

Angry Young Lady said...

Glad you like Staunton's performance. In a film where the greats aren't given much to do, it was fabulous to see her strut her stuff.

As for those left out, I've often wondered why they haven't given Judi Dench a guernsey...

Anonymous said...

Let's work on that Imelda Staunton nomination guys!

Carl Joseph Papa said...

umbridge for oscars!

Sam Brooks said...

Where's the Helena Bonham-Carter love here? I thought she was great in the movie.

NATHANIEL R said...

i think it was because she has what, 2...3 lines? There was certainly not enough of HBC (whom i once loved with great passion... when she had meatier roles than she gets now)

J.D. said...

I remember at least 7.

Regina George said...

A few thoughts:

1.) Wasn't Kristin Scott Thomas also considered for the Bellatrix (HBC) role?

2.) I certainly think that, had Imelda not been off the heat of Vera Drake, Brenda Blethyn most certainly would've been the choice for Umbridge. I had to admit it around here, but I'm a much bigger Blethyn fan (she looks and acts so much like my own mom, it'd be a betrayal to consider anyone above her - not to mention her very singular screen presence! GAH!)

3.) As has been said on some blog's (maybe even this one?), the small taste of HBC as Bellatrix will probably be helpful to her at year's end - it certainly got me pumped up for whatever (potential) goodness she'll be treating us to in Sweeney Todd as Mrs. Lovett! (Should've been Meryl/La Bening/Toni, but whatever - she's a natural).

Anonymous said...

HP fans are all over the place when it comes to who they want to play Narcissa. I've heard requests for Naomi, Nicole Kidman, Joely Richardson, Tilda Swinton (who I think would be great) and Kirsten Scott Thomas.

Tilda Swinton would be my favorite choice out of those since she already kinda looks like Draco in a sense (but still has an odd beauty to her) but all of those listed above could totally rock the role.

Anonymous said...

Nicole Kidman or Naomi Watts would be PERFECT for Narcissa. But they're Aussie so they wouldn't even be aloud to play her, would they?

Anonymous said...

Rowling has a rule that the actors must be Enlglish, but I've heard rumors that Watts is trying to persuade the producers becuase she was born in England...And another thing I've read was that Kidman wanted to do a Potter pic. (She wanted to do a movie for her kids) and instead she got offered The Golden Compass and took it....But I posted on Oscar and the City that I can't wait for more HBC in the next movies becuase she actually took her role a little too seriously...

Anonymous said...

Here is the rottentoamtoes article that says Naomi Watts is up for the role:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince
/news/1648746/

Unknown said...

I would love to see Billy Connolly as Rufus Scrimgeour. I've pictured it ever since I saw him in Lemony Snicket.

megmarmor said...

Tim Curry as the new Minister of Magic. Perfectly vampire like.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I honestly think that if Nicole Kidman was British, if she wanted the role, they wouldn't even second guess giving it to her. Nicole has blue eyes, blonde hair, and can really pull the bitch out when it's needed.

but yeah, she's an Aussie so that wouldn't work, sadly.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure its true about there being a British or Irish only rule in place. It would be illegal in the European Union to have such a discriminatory policy in place.

Also a Bulgarian played Viktor Krum, a frenchwoman played Fleur Delacour, and a Serb played Igor Karkaroff, so the theory is not water-tight anyway.

Anonymous said...

It's not illegal. It's what the casting is and you can't go to jail for it or anything.

NATHANIEL R said...

well casting is one of those areas where you're legally allowed to discriminate ;)

John T said...

I think Scott Thomas would be the best for Narcissa; she does that hoity-toity British film role so well. Moreover, I'm dying to see who they appoint to play Professor Slughorn in the next movie.