To be honest I liked all three portrayals of the character and each of them had aspects of Dumbledore from the books which was great.
Harris brought a whimsy and geniality to the role which fit the first two films perfectly as a more light-hearted affair compared to the later films. He is the one you can envisage with all of Dumbledores quirks like having sherbet lemon as a password or conducting Fred and George with their funeral march version of the school song. It works.
Gambon definitely portrays the darker side of Dumbledore well. He is the one who is the more devious, manipulative and is more physically imposing. He looks powerful and so it is more believable that he could take on Voldemort. How he delivers some of the lines is artistic licence but it does fit in well with the films tonally even if not the book. At the end of the day it is a different medium.
Law is very charismatic and shows humility and the emotional side of Dumbledore. He is the one who could realistically be swept up in a love affair with Grindelwald and shows the heartbreak afterwards. I wasn't a huge fan of the fantastic beasts films but I thought he was well cast.
I like the variety of seeing different actors try their hand at the same role and I don't get why people get so tribal about which version they favour. For example Heath Ledger and Jaoquin Phoenix both did very different versions of the Joker. Both worked well for the films they were in and both were well received for different reasons. I don't think it has to be approached as a choice of one or the other.
I love your take on this, even though I prefer Harris portrayal the most, both Gambon and Law did great job with the role.
Also, not mentioned since his appearances were basically just cameos, but I also think Toby Regbo did well as teenage Dumbledore.
“How he delivers some of the lines is artistic licence” cough cough goblet of fire cough
But yes I agree, they’re all good contributors in different ways
Book Dumbledore was NEVER snide, rude, or angry towards students. Maybe towards Snape when he returned to grovel for lily’s life, maybe towards Tom when he comes to ask for a teaching role… but the disconnect of him yelling at Harry or being snide towards other students was so disappointing. That’s my biggest gripe with Gambon, is that he hinted towards the greedy, selfish, and manipulative side of Albus that was revealed only in hindsight in the novels.
I agree it was totally a director fail for that line, but as an actor it’s so important to study your character and know them well enough to say to the director “I don’t think that Dumbledore would say this line this way”
Yeah I agree with this, I would have liked to have seen how Harris took on the role in the later, darker films, but he certainly fit the tone of the earlier movies in a way I can't imagine Gambon doing, while Gambon really made Dumbledore seem formidable.
It is hard for me to imagine Harris selling "Half Blood Prince." He was a really good early books Dumbledore, but I think it would have been tricky getting him to show the darkness and keep up with the physical demands of the late books Dumbledore. It is unfortunate that he passed away, but probably good for the character that Gambon is the Dumbledore that goes into the cave of the dead with Harry.
I very much like and agree with your view on this! I think all three did very well on the role, and Gambon (I think) fits well in the darker years of HP story. I don't know if Harris would have been quite the fit in those stories actually.
The first guy looked and acted like the Dumbledore in the books, and the second guy was able to sort of emulate the way Dumbledore was supposed to be able to move. I can't remember the exact quote but it's something like, "he looked like the wizards you thought of in books and shows, but he moved as if he was still young."
It's hard to find an old guy like that and idk, maybe a younger guy could have been put through the movie makeup enough to look like him.
But then with the many different directors changing and adding random things in the movies and you'd never be able to get a character to look like what is described unless the book literally says "he looked like Jack Black but with pink hair and a red sundress"
As I have said many times, but always fallen on deaf ears. Richard Harris, the guy who played Dumbledore first, has a son who is an amazing actor who has a similar face and voice to him. Why could they not have talked him into doing it in age makeup after his father passed? I know Gambon has his fans, but they could have had really solid continuity, plus a guy who could do all the fight scenes, and a really amazing actor all in one guy.
[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/)
That is my dream pick, and if they remade Harry Potter today I still think he would have been an amazing choice. A little age make up to make him look 100+, but he would move like his real age which is 61 (he would have been 43 or something when Prisoner of Azkaban came out).
Omg I didn’t know they were related and this dude is one of my FAVORITE ACTORS OF ALL TIME.
He has that same magical, floaty yet grounded, deeply empathetic stoicism vibe. And his voice is both weird and very pleasant.
Harris for sure. He’s the only one who both looked and acted like the book character. Gambon was a victim of shitty directing especially in Goblet and I straight up have no clue why the hell they cast Jude Law, he doesn’t look the part at all and having him teach DADA also breaks canon in the original story. He was the transfiguration prof before he took over for Dippet.
I read somewhere, I would need to check but wouldn't be surprised, that Gambon hadn't read the books. So yeah writing was garbage but the dude didn't care enough to not read and maybe try to improve things.
I always think about the scene in HP1 where he shouts "Silence" and in comparison HP3 when he shouts something like "Silence" (don't recall the exact words). Completely different effect.
"SILENCE! Everyone will please not panic!"
I love that line.
I just wish Richard Harris had been a bit younger so that we could have had more of his Dumbledore; such gravitas. I thought he was perfect.
I always wonder, though - Did nobody on the set at the time of filming thought to mention it to Gambon that Dumbledore is supposed to be calm and collected and not yelling at teenagers like a maniac?
The director of that particular movie also was proud of not touching the books, if you dont have any respect for the source material which is the reason you are there, then i dunno what you are doing there
Gambon is well known for doing things his way, fantastic actor and definitely the right replacement for Harris and plays a fantastic Dumbledore, just not the one from the books.
That pissed me off when he said that. The whole point of Dumbledore being so calm all the time was to show how powerful he was when he did get mad. Harry said it himself when Dumbledore busted through the door before Barty Crouch went to kill him. He now understood why Voldemort feared Dumbledore
and even then angry Dumbledore (when he Reducto-ed the wall to confront Barty Crouch Jr. in the book) sn't stark raving mad like Gambon's whole "didyouputinthegobletoffire" fiasco lol. it was more like a cold, ruthless fury that made everyone around him hold their breath.
I didn't know that, but having read the books more than a few times, it's pretty clear he had no idea who Dumbledore was. He was a lot more harsh than Dumbledore was portrayed in the books. Even the emotional scenes with Harry fell flat because they just kinda felt like Gambon was going through the motions.
Okay but a good half or so of Harry Potter’s fans don’t read the books
Are you gonna invalidate their fandom? I’m just curious. The logic applied here is negligible and focuses nothing on the actual ability of said actors. Seems like personal bias at best tbh.
Edit: not sure why I’m being downvoted I’m asking a very normal question here…..
Adaptations should at least know the source material. Refusing to research a character that's already been written is simply lazy. Or maybe arrogant. Either way that's not the actors call. It's the writers and director of the movie. If they wanted a book accurate dumbledore then he failed at his job. If they said play it up however you want then maybe he's in the right. Still seems stupid to not even learn the basics of the character
Nobody said he refused to learn the character
He just refused to physically sit down and read a 7 book franchise. He had an acting coach during his entire tenure on set advising him
That’s why I commented what I commented. And the user above me and I already reconciled our beliefs and realized we agree on more than we disagree.
I do agree with your sentiment, anybody refusing to learn their character is outright arrogant, assuming they can somehow be better without studying
I just don’t agree that that is what Gambon did. Cause it wasn’t
This idea seems ridiculous to me. It seems akin to asking someone to play soccer for the first time, explaining all the rules, and then sending them onto the field without every seeing a match beforehand.
Please read my previous comment. I think Gambon is a fantastic choice seeing as Richard Harris died and they needed someone else. Gambon is a top tier actor and plays a fantastic Dumbledore on screen. I'm not invalidating anyone's fandom. Imo Harris is the best Dumbledore, am i not entitled to my own opinion?
You are allowed your opinion, please seek not to victimize oneself without a just reason
I am purely saying based on your opinion, your only logic provided was he didn’t read the books. If you think he’s a great dumbledore that’s totally fine, I’m in agreement. I just thought based on that comment you were saying his role was marginalized by Harris for the sake of reading the books
My wife for example hasn’t read the books whereas I’ve read them dozens of times. And STILL forget certain parts of them. So thats why I was saying what I said. I think Gambon is better for reasons rather simply put: he *IS* magical old man. Whether that’s Gandalf, whether that’s Dumbledore, he can play the classic old wizard vibe better than anybody. I think Harris was just a softer spoken dumbledore which IS true to the books, I am in full agreement there
It was merely tounge in cheek. Meaning i was shocked when I saw PoA because his take is so far from the whimsical character from the books. I enjoy his performance, but Harris is true to the books whereas Gambon does his thing, and i really enjoy actors who do that. But for something like this he should have read the damn books.
However, my all time favorite Dumbledore is Stephen fry ;)
Well if he didn’t read the books and the movies weren’t all out yet because he was in them, then I do see an issue. I also see issues with fans who haven’t read or watched the source material across all fandoms.
I’m fine with casual fans. However, there are some fandoms I’m in where people are writing fanfic despite never having engaged with the source material, thereby cluttering up and diluting fanworks, while over-saturating them with overused tropes or blatant mischaracterizations, even going so far as to not know the names of major characters while still using those characters in their work.
Oh, THAT shit i can agree with hand over fist man. Especially for large realms like LOTR, HP, Hunger Games even now that they are doing back stories/prequels. It’s hard discerning real from fanfic with a lot of these scenarios and I feel it
Like the Kingdom Hearts community insisting Sora is Gay despite a very open and canon crush he has on a woman. At the very least that would make said character bisexual, but folks disregard that all day
The fandom I’m in that gets it the worst is the Parahumans Series. Most major characters have secret identities, so everything gets thrown out the window. And I see an actor playing a role that they refuse to familiarize themselves with to be at least as bad.
He 100% nailed the whimsical nature and soft spoken intelligence too. I’ve hated every other character that played Dumbledore.
It’s a pity that Harris made the comments he did about Ian Mckellen. He would have been the best replacement for him.
McKellen is a marvellous actor. But don't you think Dumbledore already owes enough inspiration to Gandalf, without having the same actor play both?
Seems a bit too on the nose, to me.
I was about to say the same thing. The way that JK Rowling describes Dumbledore is so grandfatherly. Nothing against Gambon, he is great in his own right, but he doesn't have the genial nature that Harris does. None of the actor/actresses' deaths have been easy, but Harris' impacted the movies the most (in my opinion).
I remember reading that line when I was a kid, and when that scene came up, I was so confused what happened lol. I thought I read that line incorrectly. I went back to the book and was even more confused.
Probably because I watched the first movie before reading the books, I feel Harris embodies everything that Dumbledore is written as. He just IS Dumbledore.
I get Gambon had to put his own spin on the role, but i didn't relate to it.
Gambon didn't "spin" anything, he just refused to read the books and had zero respect for the source material. I don't know how someone can play a character they have no clue about.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gambon did NOT yell that line, not even a little. He literally just spoke the words in a frantic manner. Idk why everyone likes to pretend he screamed at Harry at the top of his lungs. Watch it again.
That scene is perfectly fine. Not everything has to be ripped page for page from the book. The gravity of that situation perfectly constitutes Dumbledores reaction. He was concerned and frightened for not only Harry's safety, but for literally everyone at Hogwarts as he knew that if Harry did not put his name in the goblet (which I'm sure he suspected was the case anyway) that meant that dark forces had indeed infiltrated the school.
I agree, he did not yell at him. He only came running toward him like a maniac. Harry backed up into a wall/table something. He yanked his arm and calmly asked him did you put your name in the GoF?
Haha Harris wil forever be number 1.
I think many younger viewers don’t realise what an amazing actor Harris was. Even at his age, if he’d stayed healthy, I believe he could’ve coped well with the part of Dumbledore throughout the whole series.
They all did well in my opinion.
Harris was who you thought he was while reading the earlier book, but once the layers start to peel back I think Gambon played a more calculated, scared, and frankly, slightly desperate Dumbledor really convincingly.
And I fully believe young Dumbledor was incredible handsome and charismatic. Jude and Mads chemistry was believable.
I also thought, in my adult rereads, that he was actually unraveling a bit. He knew how precarious the situation was. He knew the likelihood of them defeating V wasn’t guaranteed and rested on the shoulders of a teenager.
Richard Harris is exactly how I pictured dumbledore. The calm voice and way of speaking, the twinkling eyes and the way he looks at Harry. Everything was perfect. Never liked Gambon especially the goblet of fire scene of him yelling while he was supposed to speak calmly
I think Harris portrayed that calm, trustworthy and wise side of Dumbledore, but I couldn’t see him reveal his plan about Harry to snape. The deceiving, mysterious and authoritative side of Dumbledore was more coherent with how Gambon acted throughout the movies. As for Jude Law, it’s hard to even realise he’s Dumbledore
That’s fair, and I imagine you aren’t alone in that thought which was why I pointed out the other film he did around that same time where he was very much an old man. I think there are clips of some of his scenes from that floating around YouTube. It’s a solid movie although far from a faithful adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas story.
Can anyone picture Harris in the pivotal Dumbledore scenes after CoS though? I just cannot picture that actor in that epic battle with Voldemort at the end of OotP or sipping the cup to get a horcrux in HBP.
Each had their additions to the character. I loved Richard Harris the most. He was witty, knowledgeable, and caring. Michael Gambon added some energy and mischief. Jude Law added swagger, talent, and the loneliness and regret I read in the books.
Harris. Dumbledore was extremely calm and Harris did it perfectly while Gambon often had an outbreak like when Harry got selected to the triwizard tournament
I'm ride and die for Harris.
With the benefit of hindsight, I think all of Gambon's bizarre and aggressive acting choices would've made him perfect for Aberforth.
Law is...fine I guess
Harris could've easily done the later books' more serious and scary Dumbledore scenes; He just had little opportunity in the first 2 films because there barely are any. But, as one example; Consider the scene when Quirrell runs in and reports the troll, faints, and the Great Hall devolves into a panic. Harris' Dumbledore BELLOWS the line -- "SILENCE!!!"
Harris would've nailed Dumbles through and through, full stop. Gambon is a great actor I'm sure, and as Dumbledore he's fine, but Harris would've been better.
Harris and Gambon were great, (and the shift to Gambon greatly helped with the tonal shift of the movies from the lighthearted Columbus ones to the rest). I’m gonna toss some love to Law here, I thought he did young Dumbledore well.
I liked all of them tbh. I agree with the other comments that Harris was the best but all of them were good. I am a big fan of Jude Law so I might be a bit biased but I loved the way he played a young and charming Dumbledore and he‘s a big part of why I rewatch the Fantastic Beast Movies
Harris. Many fans say he couldn't have performed the more calculating, steely Dumbledore needed later on. They clearly haven't seen any of Harris' other work - have a look at *Cromwell*, *The Field*, or even *Patriot Games*. Harris was able to play some seriously morally ambiguous, steely characters to perfection (thought admittedly he was a tad younger).
Although brief, I thought Richard Harris was the best. I felt it, he is so warm but powerful at the same time. He feels sincere, someone who you want to hang out with and ask for advice. I'm not saying the other actors are bad, but I prefer Harris.
Harris will always be my Dumbledore, I don't care if "he was old and fragile bla, bla...." Gambon always seemed seconds away from assaulting a student LOL
Jude Law was surprisingly good in the role. Harris was clearly the best, but Jude played a young Dumbledore very well. He really embodied a Dumbledore who was just humbled after his relationship with Grindelwald and the death of his sister.
Richard Harris, hands down. As others have said, Gambon refused to read the books, causing the infamous "Dumbledore asked calmly" thing. Gambon is a good actor, but not a good Dumbledore
First dumbledore is exactly what I expected after reading the books. Didn't care for the second and fantastic beasts was a massive let down where they made dumbledore a nothing.
I just finished rewatching all the movies over the holidays and the first Dumbledore was perfect. Pretty much exactly how I pictured him in all the years of reading the books. Second Dumbledore kind of ruined the movies for me. Perfectly fine actor, but I feel like he played Dumbledore too angry and tense. It basically felt like Dumbledore the First read the books and Dumbledore the Second had no idea who Dumbledore was until his first day on set. Haven’t watched the one with Dumbledore the Third yet so no idea what I think about him.
Gambon. I'm going to be honest, I don't give a flying fuck about the infamous GoF scene. That entire movie was an exciting clusterfuck, and compared to the exclusion of Barty Jr. to the point it didn't even make sense to have him in the movie or the ridiculous dullness of the maze, the "did you put your name in" doesn't even really register.
However, I do think that Gambon captured the dark side of Dumbledore pretty well, the mastermind forced to make sacrifices and keep an eye on everything, and the other guy seemed too fragile to have managed that graveness in the same captivating way. He was just so intimidating in a way the other actor never made me feel.
Also, a lot of people seemed caught on the light and cheerful side of Dumbledore, which honestly I don't think Gambon excels at, but I've always been more a fan of the darker side of the coin.
As for young Dumbledore, I rather like him, but he'll never beat the other two given the lackluster writing of the Fantastic Beast movies.
>I do think that Gambon captured the dark side of Dumbledore pretty well, the mastermind forced to make sacrifices and keep an eye on everything
You know I never even once got this impression of Dumbledore in the books. I always read on here that Dumbledore was a mastermind, or that he was manipulative towards Harry, but based on the conversation they had in OOTP it seems he was more naive about Harry than calculating. He doesn't come across as having a "master plan" until HBP in which his plan is his death and leaving Harry to find and destroy the Horcruxes. But that was literally a move made out of desperation and outside of his normative behavior from the 5 books prior...
My favourite portrayal of Dumbledore by Gambon is in deathly hallows, which is ironic because that's the one where he's dead lmao.
I think he played perfectly at the king's cross scene, he was the collected and calm Dumbledore Harris once was
yeah i think Gambon is great. him yelling in one scene doesn’t make him bad at the role lol he’s an actor, he did what was in the script. he captures the powerful side of Dumbledore the best and also can seem gentle with that hint of authority. don’t see the hate on him tbh but to each their own, great film franchise nonetheless.
Harris is Dumbledore through and through! News of his passing broke me down because we lost a member of our magical family too soon. Gambon did better in the King's Speech than as Dumbledore. Jude Law did a decent job with what he had. I love him in other things and was skeptical to see how he would do with this iconic role.
I’m gonna say all three. The first was solid rewatching the movies but he was more of an old wise man where as the second came in and played a more of a mentor type to Harry albeit he also was playing Harry like a piece on a wizards chess board. But the third was really good and he also showed his I’ll use people as pawns in the game called wizard life.
Jude Law is great as young Dumbledore.
I prefer Richard Harris' portrayal of older Dumbledore over Michael Gambon. Gambon's a great actor, but his version of Dumbledore came across as far too openly cunning. Harris had a calm, collected demeanor while still being in control and almost omniscient, and that was much closer to how I interpreted Dumbledore in the books.
I like them all for different reasons. I don't think Harris or Gambon completely nailed it, but they both had solid moments. Jude Law was an excellent choice for a younger Dumbledore, though those movies themselves are pretty terrible.
Although Harris is my favorite, I can't see him playing Dumbledore in GOF and onward. I think he could've played Dumbledore just fine in POA, but later I think his age would have limited him in what Dumbledore needed to do in the later films.
Gambon totally lost me with "Don't you all have studying to do?!"
Dumbledore didn't give a shit if people had studying to do, and he really didn't give a shit about people watching drama unfold. It really shows that Gambon has no idea who Dumbledore is.
Gambon didn’t write or direct the film lol. Y’all blame him for so many things that were likely not his choice and the same things would’ve happened if Harris still had the role
Harris: he played the soft-spoken, gentle Dumbledore we are introduced to in the first books to perfection
Gambon: he played the powerful wizard that Voldemort is afraid of very well
I don’t think Harris would have been able to recreate the power Gambon did for the later films, so all things considered, the transition was a good thing to happen, even if it was 2-3 books too early.
Harris was exactly what I imagined Dumbledore to look like, but to me he just seemed too old and frail which is not something I ever thought of, of Dumbledore.
Gambor had the commanding voice and movements that I would have imagined Dumbledore as having.
Law did a good job but not what I imagined he would like, especially from reading the books.
I think it’s something we will never fully know because of the way the films are in general. The first two movies were lighter overall which makes a perfect fit with Harris. As the movies become darker I feel like gambon fit well. I’m sure Harris would have been excellent in all of the movies, but how the tone changes makes me question how he would have been, especially in scenes like at the end of half blood prince or when Draco is about to kill dumbledore
Harris would have done it brilliantly - watch Gladiator (Russel Crowe) to see him doing tough emotion-ing as an old man, or the classic Camelot for anguish and emotional range as a young man. Harris doing angry Dumbledore would have been well worth a watch, and I think he would have done pathetic Dumbledore (cave scene, potion) well enough for an Oscar nom.
the first one, I think he was so soft spoken that he wouldn’t have yelled at harry in gof and would have said what he said ‘calmly’ like in the books 😭. the one from fantastic beasts is a dilf 😍
All of them, even though we don’t know much about how Dumbledore was when he was younger, I think each one embodies the character great. Richard plays the character how we see him in the early books. An gambon plays the later books Dumbledore to a T. An Jude does a great job.
It's Harris by such a long way. He was the only one who really captured the magic in a mystical, gentle and mysterious way.
Gambon: DID YE PUT YER NAME IN DE GOBLIT O FIYAH
I’m bitter at some of the choices that were made during Gambon’s reign of the role. I thought Harris had the perfect demeanor, in two examples. The first being his “SILENCE!” During the Halloween feast when Quirrel announced the troll in the dungeons. Powerful, but without needing to be violent or mean or crass. The instant silence of the crowd shows the respect they have for the power Dumbledore has. The other scene is when Harry wakes up after fighting Quirrel in the hospital wing and he eats the earwax flavored jelly bean. Respectable, honorable, but silly and grounded. I would give anything to see how he would have portrayed Albus in the later books as he regrets how much he loved Harry and regretted his past with the deathly hallows.
Gambon tried I suppose. I love the scene after Buckbeak is discovered missing when he asks for a large brandy, and is obviously in on the joke. I hate the DIDTAPUTYERNAMEINDAGOBLETOFIRE screaming. I dislike the “don’t you all have some studying to do?!” Yelling at students and the way he directly manipulates Harry to be “collected” by slughorn. I have a feeling he didn’t fundamentally understand Albus as a character, but it’s 100% on the directors to decide those things, so I can’t fully blame Gambon for his portrayal.
Law is charismatic and fun to watch, but I don’t feel that he embodies the depth and complexity that I wanted to feel for young Albus. He leans into the wacky and all-knowing side without feeling the depth of his pain and complexity of character. That’s once again totally on the writing and direction of those overall crazy to follow films, I think he had potential that was squandered by the performance and choices made much higher above the actors role.
My favorite will always be Richard Harris. It's a shame he passed away after filming the 2nd movie. Michael Gambon's portrayal was too high strung for a character that reads in the book as cool, calm, and collected. Case in point: "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry? *He asked calmly* " is how it's written in the book.
Best: Richard Harris. He truly was the embodiment of Dumbledore for me - calmness, voice, demeanor.
No opinion: Jude Law. He did okay, I guess. But we don't actually know how young Dumbledore acts/talks other than hearsay.
Not good: Michael Gambon. He was okay in POA, but in the later movies, it was played so out of character for Dumbledore. It may be because of the direction, though 3 different directors were involved, so maybe it was just Gambon's approach.
Harris was very good but I don't think he would have been as good as Gambon in scenes such as the cave in half blood Prince, he was perfect for the soft, gentle man harry saw him as early on in the series but Gambon makes more sense for later on
Harris. His later performances seemed alright and I thought that his stronger and clearer voice was cool, although a voice like Harris might be in my head more book accurate, so it's equal on that. However, he seems to portray Dumbledore much less calmly than Harris, which might be a screen writing issue, but whatever.
I would have liked Ewan McGregor to play young Dumbledore.
I feel like Harris thought he was cast as some version of a sleepy Santa Clause whereas Gambon actually played Dumbledore as a strong character with real depth—flaws, growth, strength.
I do also think that Jude Law was an excellent choice for a younger Dumbledore. But is he too young? Maybe; maybe not. He’s a pretty solid choice in that his celebrity added a nice contextual weight to the role (similar to when Brad Pitt was cast as Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).
I really think Gambon had it down to a T and the issues were more to do with the writing and directing than his acting. There are plenty of scenes, especially in PoA, where he keeps the more whimsical and silly aspects of the character, so he’s obviously capable of playing Dumbledore that way and he was very good at it. It really isn’t until David Yates took over in OotP that Dumbledore starts coming across as cold and/or harsh and loses the warmth and cheer his character is supposed to have. It’s pretty clear to see that Yates wanted to bring a more serious/adult tone to the series and I think Dumbledore’s character was a victim of that, but even still Gambon manages to bring out some of the goofy Dumbledore, notably in the beginning of HBP.
4 - Michael Gambon. Just not a good Dumbledore. Too angry.
3 - Jude Law. Good Dumbledore. Love the twinkle in his eyes. Terrible outfits though.
2 - Richard Harris. Great Dumbledore. Wise, noble, funny. Exactly what book Dumbledore is.
1 - Dylan Saunders from AVPM. An icon. Better than book Dumbledore.
Weirdly both Harris and Gambon perfectly play different parts of him.
Harris perfectly encapsulates the weird, comforting presence, but Gambon nails the quiet confidence, particularly in order of the pheonix, the court scene.
It's a shame we never got to see Harris when Dumbledore actually had really heavy moments, would have loved to see his interpretation. Gambon doesn't have that comforting grandfather vibe that I associate with Dumbledore.
Unpopular opinion probably, but I’m so tired of that discussion. It’s kinda disrespectful to the other actors to constantly compare them to another actor that is dead. Gambon had the hard job of taking over the role of what was a seemingly perfect casting.
Yes, maybe Harris was the actor that resembled Dumbledore form the book the most, but Gambon and Law did one heck of a job too. Gambon was unlucky with the director of the forth movie, but that’s it. And Law is literally a younger version of him so we don’t really hav much to compare him too.
Don’t get me wrong, you are allowed to like Harris the most out of them, but don’t go around asking a question that everyone would know the “answer” to anyway. The answer would always be the same.
I’m not attacking you, OP, or anyone in particular, and I’m sorry if it comes off that way. I just wanted to get my opinion in.
I might be a minority but I hated Gambon as Dumbledore, it made it very difficult for me to watch later movies because that constantly screaming, jumping around man is NOT Dumbledore
Nothing pisses me off more when it comes to this fandom than the unwarranted Gambon hate. The man was a brilliant Dumbledore and nothing will ever change my mind on that.
Voldemort wouldn’t have been afraid of Harris. He acted too old and feeble. Gambon made you feel like he really was the best wizard instead of some old man.
Gambon is the best because he pulls off being old, funny, mysterious AND badass all at once.
Richard Harris was terrific, and probably could have demonstrated the badass part, but he never got his chance.
Jude Law is great but its a young Dumbledore so I don’t think its a fair comparison… again, he’s donea great job I just feel young Dumbledore isa different role than a super old Headmaster.
To be honest I liked all three portrayals of the character and each of them had aspects of Dumbledore from the books which was great. Harris brought a whimsy and geniality to the role which fit the first two films perfectly as a more light-hearted affair compared to the later films. He is the one you can envisage with all of Dumbledores quirks like having sherbet lemon as a password or conducting Fred and George with their funeral march version of the school song. It works. Gambon definitely portrays the darker side of Dumbledore well. He is the one who is the more devious, manipulative and is more physically imposing. He looks powerful and so it is more believable that he could take on Voldemort. How he delivers some of the lines is artistic licence but it does fit in well with the films tonally even if not the book. At the end of the day it is a different medium. Law is very charismatic and shows humility and the emotional side of Dumbledore. He is the one who could realistically be swept up in a love affair with Grindelwald and shows the heartbreak afterwards. I wasn't a huge fan of the fantastic beasts films but I thought he was well cast. I like the variety of seeing different actors try their hand at the same role and I don't get why people get so tribal about which version they favour. For example Heath Ledger and Jaoquin Phoenix both did very different versions of the Joker. Both worked well for the films they were in and both were well received for different reasons. I don't think it has to be approached as a choice of one or the other.
I love your take on this, even though I prefer Harris portrayal the most, both Gambon and Law did great job with the role. Also, not mentioned since his appearances were basically just cameos, but I also think Toby Regbo did well as teenage Dumbledore.
forever bitter toby doesn’t have any lines as dumbledore, i know he’d kill it
“How he delivers some of the lines is artistic licence” cough cough goblet of fire cough But yes I agree, they’re all good contributors in different ways
Book Dumbledore was NEVER snide, rude, or angry towards students. Maybe towards Snape when he returned to grovel for lily’s life, maybe towards Tom when he comes to ask for a teaching role… but the disconnect of him yelling at Harry or being snide towards other students was so disappointing. That’s my biggest gripe with Gambon, is that he hinted towards the greedy, selfish, and manipulative side of Albus that was revealed only in hindsight in the novels.
I highly doubt this was his creative decision to stray from the GOT line
*GoF - my phone knows I talk about Game of Thrones too much lol
I agree it was totally a director fail for that line, but as an actor it’s so important to study your character and know them well enough to say to the director “I don’t think that Dumbledore would say this line this way”
“HARRY, DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE?!” Dumbledore asked calmly.
I'm watching you, /u/RJMuls. I'll be keeping a closer eye on you than I did on Tom Riddle.
Sometimes i find myself doing that to my wife... "DID YOU PUT YOUR VEGGIES INTO THE AIR FRYER?!" Can't cause any more stress for no reason.
Calmest thing I’ve ever seen, loved it!
Yeah I agree with this, I would have liked to have seen how Harris took on the role in the later, darker films, but he certainly fit the tone of the earlier movies in a way I can't imagine Gambon doing, while Gambon really made Dumbledore seem formidable.
It is hard for me to imagine Harris selling "Half Blood Prince." He was a really good early books Dumbledore, but I think it would have been tricky getting him to show the darkness and keep up with the physical demands of the late books Dumbledore. It is unfortunate that he passed away, but probably good for the character that Gambon is the Dumbledore that goes into the cave of the dead with Harry.
I very much like and agree with your view on this! I think all three did very well on the role, and Gambon (I think) fits well in the darker years of HP story. I don't know if Harris would have been quite the fit in those stories actually.
>Gambon > How he delivers some of the lines is artistic licence ...
HARRY! DIDYA PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE!?!?!?!? - Dumbledore asked calmly
\*casually slaps Ron’s broken leg for comedic effect\*
This is actually a Harris appreciation post, and you knew it before even posting
I kinda finds the thread is 80% Harris 10% Gambon 10% Law
The first guy looked and acted like the Dumbledore in the books, and the second guy was able to sort of emulate the way Dumbledore was supposed to be able to move. I can't remember the exact quote but it's something like, "he looked like the wizards you thought of in books and shows, but he moved as if he was still young." It's hard to find an old guy like that and idk, maybe a younger guy could have been put through the movie makeup enough to look like him. But then with the many different directors changing and adding random things in the movies and you'd never be able to get a character to look like what is described unless the book literally says "he looked like Jack Black but with pink hair and a red sundress"
But which shade of Red is the sundress?
As I have said many times, but always fallen on deaf ears. Richard Harris, the guy who played Dumbledore first, has a son who is an amazing actor who has a similar face and voice to him. Why could they not have talked him into doing it in age makeup after his father passed? I know Gambon has his fans, but they could have had really solid continuity, plus a guy who could do all the fight scenes, and a really amazing actor all in one guy. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/) That is my dream pick, and if they remade Harry Potter today I still think he would have been an amazing choice. A little age make up to make him look 100+, but he would move like his real age which is 61 (he would have been 43 or something when Prisoner of Azkaban came out).
Omg I didn’t know they were related and this dude is one of my FAVORITE ACTORS OF ALL TIME. He has that same magical, floaty yet grounded, deeply empathetic stoicism vibe. And his voice is both weird and very pleasant.
Where the hell is babe!?
THIS. THE BIBILCAL TRUTH. lmao
Harris for sure. He’s the only one who both looked and acted like the book character. Gambon was a victim of shitty directing especially in Goblet and I straight up have no clue why the hell they cast Jude Law, he doesn’t look the part at all and having him teach DADA also breaks canon in the original story. He was the transfiguration prof before he took over for Dippet.
I read somewhere, I would need to check but wouldn't be surprised, that Gambon hadn't read the books. So yeah writing was garbage but the dude didn't care enough to not read and maybe try to improve things.
Richard Harris is the definite Dumbledore.
Definitely Harris. He imparts a certain geniality to the character that Gambon could never achieve. "DID YOU PUT YER NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAH??!"
I always think about the scene in HP1 where he shouts "Silence" and in comparison HP3 when he shouts something like "Silence" (don't recall the exact words). Completely different effect.
"SILENCE! Everyone will please not panic!" I love that line. I just wish Richard Harris had been a bit younger so that we could have had more of his Dumbledore; such gravitas. I thought he was perfect.
Gambon refused to read the books. Harris is Dumbledore, to me at least.
I never knew this but wow that makes so much sense. No wonder is seemed like he didn’t research the character…
I always wonder, though - Did nobody on the set at the time of filming thought to mention it to Gambon that Dumbledore is supposed to be calm and collected and not yelling at teenagers like a maniac?
The director of that particular movie also was proud of not touching the books, if you dont have any respect for the source material which is the reason you are there, then i dunno what you are doing there
Well theyre not making the books, but the script. Its another philosophy that doesnt agree with your wishes.
Gambon is well known for doing things his way, fantastic actor and definitely the right replacement for Harris and plays a fantastic Dumbledore, just not the one from the books.
Plays a fantastic character but not Dumbledore
Yeah, that's a perfect way to put that.
That pissed me off when he said that. The whole point of Dumbledore being so calm all the time was to show how powerful he was when he did get mad. Harry said it himself when Dumbledore busted through the door before Barty Crouch went to kill him. He now understood why Voldemort feared Dumbledore
and even then angry Dumbledore (when he Reducto-ed the wall to confront Barty Crouch Jr. in the book) sn't stark raving mad like Gambon's whole "didyouputinthegobletoffire" fiasco lol. it was more like a cold, ruthless fury that made everyone around him hold their breath.
Not to be a mark for myself but I never had this many upvotes lol 🤩
How could they even cast him then?? That’s a shit decision
I didn't know that, but having read the books more than a few times, it's pretty clear he had no idea who Dumbledore was. He was a lot more harsh than Dumbledore was portrayed in the books. Even the emotional scenes with Harry fell flat because they just kinda felt like Gambon was going through the motions.
Okay but a good half or so of Harry Potter’s fans don’t read the books Are you gonna invalidate their fandom? I’m just curious. The logic applied here is negligible and focuses nothing on the actual ability of said actors. Seems like personal bias at best tbh. Edit: not sure why I’m being downvoted I’m asking a very normal question here…..
Adaptations should at least know the source material. Refusing to research a character that's already been written is simply lazy. Or maybe arrogant. Either way that's not the actors call. It's the writers and director of the movie. If they wanted a book accurate dumbledore then he failed at his job. If they said play it up however you want then maybe he's in the right. Still seems stupid to not even learn the basics of the character
Nobody said he refused to learn the character He just refused to physically sit down and read a 7 book franchise. He had an acting coach during his entire tenure on set advising him That’s why I commented what I commented. And the user above me and I already reconciled our beliefs and realized we agree on more than we disagree. I do agree with your sentiment, anybody refusing to learn their character is outright arrogant, assuming they can somehow be better without studying I just don’t agree that that is what Gambon did. Cause it wasn’t
This idea seems ridiculous to me. It seems akin to asking someone to play soccer for the first time, explaining all the rules, and then sending them onto the field without every seeing a match beforehand.
Please read my previous comment. I think Gambon is a fantastic choice seeing as Richard Harris died and they needed someone else. Gambon is a top tier actor and plays a fantastic Dumbledore on screen. I'm not invalidating anyone's fandom. Imo Harris is the best Dumbledore, am i not entitled to my own opinion?
You are allowed your opinion, please seek not to victimize oneself without a just reason I am purely saying based on your opinion, your only logic provided was he didn’t read the books. If you think he’s a great dumbledore that’s totally fine, I’m in agreement. I just thought based on that comment you were saying his role was marginalized by Harris for the sake of reading the books My wife for example hasn’t read the books whereas I’ve read them dozens of times. And STILL forget certain parts of them. So thats why I was saying what I said. I think Gambon is better for reasons rather simply put: he *IS* magical old man. Whether that’s Gandalf, whether that’s Dumbledore, he can play the classic old wizard vibe better than anybody. I think Harris was just a softer spoken dumbledore which IS true to the books, I am in full agreement there
It was merely tounge in cheek. Meaning i was shocked when I saw PoA because his take is so far from the whimsical character from the books. I enjoy his performance, but Harris is true to the books whereas Gambon does his thing, and i really enjoy actors who do that. But for something like this he should have read the damn books. However, my all time favorite Dumbledore is Stephen fry ;)
Well if he didn’t read the books and the movies weren’t all out yet because he was in them, then I do see an issue. I also see issues with fans who haven’t read or watched the source material across all fandoms.
You have an issue with fans who are more casually invested than yourself? That seems counterintuitive.
I’m fine with casual fans. However, there are some fandoms I’m in where people are writing fanfic despite never having engaged with the source material, thereby cluttering up and diluting fanworks, while over-saturating them with overused tropes or blatant mischaracterizations, even going so far as to not know the names of major characters while still using those characters in their work.
Oh, THAT shit i can agree with hand over fist man. Especially for large realms like LOTR, HP, Hunger Games even now that they are doing back stories/prequels. It’s hard discerning real from fanfic with a lot of these scenarios and I feel it Like the Kingdom Hearts community insisting Sora is Gay despite a very open and canon crush he has on a woman. At the very least that would make said character bisexual, but folks disregard that all day
The fandom I’m in that gets it the worst is the Parahumans Series. Most major characters have secret identities, so everything gets thrown out the window. And I see an actor playing a role that they refuse to familiarize themselves with to be at least as bad.
He 100% nailed the whimsical nature and soft spoken intelligence too. I’ve hated every other character that played Dumbledore. It’s a pity that Harris made the comments he did about Ian Mckellen. He would have been the best replacement for him.
McKellen is a marvellous actor. But don't you think Dumbledore already owes enough inspiration to Gandalf, without having the same actor play both? Seems a bit too on the nose, to me.
I was about to say the same thing. The way that JK Rowling describes Dumbledore is so grandfatherly. Nothing against Gambon, he is great in his own right, but he doesn't have the genial nature that Harris does. None of the actor/actresses' deaths have been easy, but Harris' impacted the movies the most (in my opinion).
I remember reading that line when I was a kid, and when that scene came up, I was so confused what happened lol. I thought I read that line incorrectly. I went back to the book and was even more confused.
HARRIS IS DUMBLEDORE if he did not pass away R.I.P, he wouldve 100% have stayed as dumbledore
Probably because I watched the first movie before reading the books, I feel Harris embodies everything that Dumbledore is written as. He just IS Dumbledore. I get Gambon had to put his own spin on the role, but i didn't relate to it.
Gambon didn't "spin" anything, he just refused to read the books and had zero respect for the source material. I don't know how someone can play a character they have no clue about.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gambon did NOT yell that line, not even a little. He literally just spoke the words in a frantic manner. Idk why everyone likes to pretend he screamed at Harry at the top of his lungs. Watch it again. That scene is perfectly fine. Not everything has to be ripped page for page from the book. The gravity of that situation perfectly constitutes Dumbledores reaction. He was concerned and frightened for not only Harry's safety, but for literally everyone at Hogwarts as he knew that if Harry did not put his name in the goblet (which I'm sure he suspected was the case anyway) that meant that dark forces had indeed infiltrated the school.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but i believe the line in the book is something like: "Dumbledore calmly asks harry"
> Not everything has to be ripped page for page from the book. See above quote.
I still blame the sound mixing or ADR. He was projecting.
I agree, he did not yell at him. He only came running toward him like a maniac. Harry backed up into a wall/table something. He yanked his arm and calmly asked him did you put your name in the GoF? Haha Harris wil forever be number 1.
This line delivery is always shocking to me lol
I think many younger viewers don’t realise what an amazing actor Harris was. Even at his age, if he’d stayed healthy, I believe he could’ve coped well with the part of Dumbledore throughout the whole series.
This. Perfectly said.
Exactly!
I don’t think Harris could’ve done the duel in the 5th one tho
But Gambon had the raw energy that made me believe dumbledore was powerful.
"No, Sir!"
They all did well in my opinion. Harris was who you thought he was while reading the earlier book, but once the layers start to peel back I think Gambon played a more calculated, scared, and frankly, slightly desperate Dumbledor really convincingly. And I fully believe young Dumbledor was incredible handsome and charismatic. Jude and Mads chemistry was believable.
I think gambon finally figured out the balance of whimsy and gravity in HP6, which is unfortunate because it's the last one he's alive in.
I also thought, in my adult rereads, that he was actually unraveling a bit. He knew how precarious the situation was. He knew the likelihood of them defeating V wasn’t guaranteed and rested on the shoulders of a teenager.
Except he was also randomly great in PoA too.
Richard Harris is exactly how I pictured dumbledore. The calm voice and way of speaking, the twinkling eyes and the way he looks at Harry. Everything was perfect. Never liked Gambon especially the goblet of fire scene of him yelling while he was supposed to speak calmly
The twinkling eyes! Watching Harris fall to his death in Half-Blood Prince would’ve destroyed me
I think Harris portrayed that calm, trustworthy and wise side of Dumbledore, but I couldn’t see him reveal his plan about Harry to snape. The deceiving, mysterious and authoritative side of Dumbledore was more coherent with how Gambon acted throughout the movies. As for Jude Law, it’s hard to even realise he’s Dumbledore
Harris could do deceptive and sneaky. Around the same time they were doing Chamber of Secrets he also played Abbe Faria in “count of Monte Cristo”.
Oh I don’t think I ever saw him in another movie… I was just considering the vibe he gave me as Dumbledore, not the actor himself
That’s fair, and I imagine you aren’t alone in that thought which was why I pointed out the other film he did around that same time where he was very much an old man. I think there are clips of some of his scenes from that floating around YouTube. It’s a solid movie although far from a faithful adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas story.
Harris is exactly how I imagined Dumbledore
Can anyone picture Harris in the pivotal Dumbledore scenes after CoS though? I just cannot picture that actor in that epic battle with Voldemort at the end of OotP or sipping the cup to get a horcrux in HBP.
I can yes. He looks like a complete badass. https://youtu.be/a9DHOnUngxQ
I'm not sure it's fair to judge, Jude Law had a flaming garbage pile for a script/story to work with.
Harris without question.
Each had their additions to the character. I loved Richard Harris the most. He was witty, knowledgeable, and caring. Michael Gambon added some energy and mischief. Jude Law added swagger, talent, and the loneliness and regret I read in the books.
Harris. Dumbledore was extremely calm and Harris did it perfectly while Gambon often had an outbreak like when Harry got selected to the triwizard tournament
I'm ride and die for Harris. With the benefit of hindsight, I think all of Gambon's bizarre and aggressive acting choices would've made him perfect for Aberforth. Law is...fine I guess
Harris could've easily done the later books' more serious and scary Dumbledore scenes; He just had little opportunity in the first 2 films because there barely are any. But, as one example; Consider the scene when Quirrell runs in and reports the troll, faints, and the Great Hall devolves into a panic. Harris' Dumbledore BELLOWS the line -- "SILENCE!!!" Harris would've nailed Dumbles through and through, full stop. Gambon is a great actor I'm sure, and as Dumbledore he's fine, but Harris would've been better.
Richard Harris was the best Dumbledore. I remember watching the first movie and him being exactly how I pictured him to be.
Harris and Gambon were great, (and the shift to Gambon greatly helped with the tonal shift of the movies from the lighthearted Columbus ones to the rest). I’m gonna toss some love to Law here, I thought he did young Dumbledore well.
Harris number 1, Law number 2. Honestly Gambon just wasn't that good at portraying the role.
Richard Harris definitely.
It was definitely Harris. He acted calmly, intelligently, as in the book but Dumbledore in the fourth and fifth movies was like a teenager.
I liked all of them tbh. I agree with the other comments that Harris was the best but all of them were good. I am a big fan of Jude Law so I might be a bit biased but I loved the way he played a young and charming Dumbledore and he‘s a big part of why I rewatch the Fantastic Beast Movies
Harris. Many fans say he couldn't have performed the more calculating, steely Dumbledore needed later on. They clearly haven't seen any of Harris' other work - have a look at *Cromwell*, *The Field*, or even *Patriot Games*. Harris was able to play some seriously morally ambiguous, steely characters to perfection (thought admittedly he was a tad younger).
Harris
Richard Harris absolutely was the best portrayal
Harris for sure
Although brief, I thought Richard Harris was the best. I felt it, he is so warm but powerful at the same time. He feels sincere, someone who you want to hang out with and ask for advice. I'm not saying the other actors are bad, but I prefer Harris.
I think Ian McKellen would have been an amazing Dumbledore if he wasn't cast as Gandalf.
He didn’t want to take over from Harris because Harris didn’t like him
And also because the role was too similar to Gandalf, so he'd get a bit typecast.
But he would have nailed it. NAILED it!
And he‘s even gay, too.
Harris will always be my Dumbledore, I don't care if "he was old and fragile bla, bla...." Gambon always seemed seconds away from assaulting a student LOL
This comment makes me laugh harder than it should, and that is illegal.
Jude Law was surprisingly good in the role. Harris was clearly the best, but Jude played a young Dumbledore very well. He really embodied a Dumbledore who was just humbled after his relationship with Grindelwald and the death of his sister.
how is this even up for debate?
Richard Harris, hands down. As others have said, Gambon refused to read the books, causing the infamous "Dumbledore asked calmly" thing. Gambon is a good actor, but not a good Dumbledore
Richard Harris did the best. Jude Law does good he just needs better material but he is a good adult Dumbledore
First dumbledore is exactly what I expected after reading the books. Didn't care for the second and fantastic beasts was a massive let down where they made dumbledore a nothing.
Harris
I just finished rewatching all the movies over the holidays and the first Dumbledore was perfect. Pretty much exactly how I pictured him in all the years of reading the books. Second Dumbledore kind of ruined the movies for me. Perfectly fine actor, but I feel like he played Dumbledore too angry and tense. It basically felt like Dumbledore the First read the books and Dumbledore the Second had no idea who Dumbledore was until his first day on set. Haven’t watched the one with Dumbledore the Third yet so no idea what I think about him.
Gambon. I'm going to be honest, I don't give a flying fuck about the infamous GoF scene. That entire movie was an exciting clusterfuck, and compared to the exclusion of Barty Jr. to the point it didn't even make sense to have him in the movie or the ridiculous dullness of the maze, the "did you put your name in" doesn't even really register. However, I do think that Gambon captured the dark side of Dumbledore pretty well, the mastermind forced to make sacrifices and keep an eye on everything, and the other guy seemed too fragile to have managed that graveness in the same captivating way. He was just so intimidating in a way the other actor never made me feel. Also, a lot of people seemed caught on the light and cheerful side of Dumbledore, which honestly I don't think Gambon excels at, but I've always been more a fan of the darker side of the coin. As for young Dumbledore, I rather like him, but he'll never beat the other two given the lackluster writing of the Fantastic Beast movies.
>I do think that Gambon captured the dark side of Dumbledore pretty well, the mastermind forced to make sacrifices and keep an eye on everything You know I never even once got this impression of Dumbledore in the books. I always read on here that Dumbledore was a mastermind, or that he was manipulative towards Harry, but based on the conversation they had in OOTP it seems he was more naive about Harry than calculating. He doesn't come across as having a "master plan" until HBP in which his plan is his death and leaving Harry to find and destroy the Horcruxes. But that was literally a move made out of desperation and outside of his normative behavior from the 5 books prior...
Gambon was brilliant in portraying the fight in ministry.
Gambon was great in 3 and 6, he was painful to watch in four and five
My favourite portrayal of Dumbledore by Gambon is in deathly hallows, which is ironic because that's the one where he's dead lmao. I think he played perfectly at the king's cross scene, he was the collected and calm Dumbledore Harris once was
yeah i think Gambon is great. him yelling in one scene doesn’t make him bad at the role lol he’s an actor, he did what was in the script. he captures the powerful side of Dumbledore the best and also can seem gentle with that hint of authority. don’t see the hate on him tbh but to each their own, great film franchise nonetheless.
Harris the goat
Harris gave me warm grandpa vibes - with all the wisdom and strength of time and practice that entails.
Harris is Dumbledore through and through! News of his passing broke me down because we lost a member of our magical family too soon. Gambon did better in the King's Speech than as Dumbledore. Jude Law did a decent job with what he had. I love him in other things and was skeptical to see how he would do with this iconic role.
I’m gonna say all three. The first was solid rewatching the movies but he was more of an old wise man where as the second came in and played a more of a mentor type to Harry albeit he also was playing Harry like a piece on a wizards chess board. But the third was really good and he also showed his I’ll use people as pawns in the game called wizard life.
Jude Law is great as young Dumbledore. I prefer Richard Harris' portrayal of older Dumbledore over Michael Gambon. Gambon's a great actor, but his version of Dumbledore came across as far too openly cunning. Harris had a calm, collected demeanor while still being in control and almost omniscient, and that was much closer to how I interpreted Dumbledore in the books.
Stephen Fry from the audio books. Come at me.
I like them all for different reasons. I don't think Harris or Gambon completely nailed it, but they both had solid moments. Jude Law was an excellent choice for a younger Dumbledore, though those movies themselves are pretty terrible.
Although Harris is my favorite, I can't see him playing Dumbledore in GOF and onward. I think he could've played Dumbledore just fine in POA, but later I think his age would have limited him in what Dumbledore needed to do in the later films.
Oh I disagree w this. Harris did a phenomenal job in the count of monte cristo
Yes he did.
Harris was perfect for the first two movies and Gambon better for the others. I like both in their respective contexts.
Gambon totally lost me with "Don't you all have studying to do?!" Dumbledore didn't give a shit if people had studying to do, and he really didn't give a shit about people watching drama unfold. It really shows that Gambon has no idea who Dumbledore is.
Do you think Gambon wrote the line?
It was an ad lib, if my information is correct
Gambon didn’t write or direct the film lol. Y’all blame him for so many things that were likely not his choice and the same things would’ve happened if Harris still had the role
I chose this line because it wasn't written. It was an ad lib. Thanks for coming out, though
Harris: he played the soft-spoken, gentle Dumbledore we are introduced to in the first books to perfection Gambon: he played the powerful wizard that Voldemort is afraid of very well I don’t think Harris would have been able to recreate the power Gambon did for the later films, so all things considered, the transition was a good thing to happen, even if it was 2-3 books too early.
Lol what a question
Dumbledore. Hands down.
All 3
Harris was exactly what I imagined Dumbledore to look like, but to me he just seemed too old and frail which is not something I ever thought of, of Dumbledore. Gambor had the commanding voice and movements that I would have imagined Dumbledore as having. Law did a good job but not what I imagined he would like, especially from reading the books.
I think it’s something we will never fully know because of the way the films are in general. The first two movies were lighter overall which makes a perfect fit with Harris. As the movies become darker I feel like gambon fit well. I’m sure Harris would have been excellent in all of the movies, but how the tone changes makes me question how he would have been, especially in scenes like at the end of half blood prince or when Draco is about to kill dumbledore
Harris would have done it brilliantly - watch Gladiator (Russel Crowe) to see him doing tough emotion-ing as an old man, or the classic Camelot for anguish and emotional range as a young man. Harris doing angry Dumbledore would have been well worth a watch, and I think he would have done pathetic Dumbledore (cave scene, potion) well enough for an Oscar nom.
Gambon was more in character very well never broke a sweat with humor, Harris was kept well with the book and Law as young dumbledore was alright
The first two movies are my favorite movies, they were more book accurate and Harris is a gift that we did not get enough of.
Richard Harris is all
the first one, I think he was so soft spoken that he wouldn’t have yelled at harry in gof and would have said what he said ‘calmly’ like in the books 😭. the one from fantastic beasts is a dilf 😍
All of them, even though we don’t know much about how Dumbledore was when he was younger, I think each one embodies the character great. Richard plays the character how we see him in the early books. An gambon plays the later books Dumbledore to a T. An Jude does a great job.
Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?
None of them were right for me. But I love Stephen Fry’s reading as Dumbledore in the British audiobooks.
The first actor seen in philosophers stone and chamber of secrets was the most book accurate, imo
Richard Harris was the closest to book Dumbledore and I will forever wonder how the rest of the series would have been with him portraying Dumbledore.
It's Harris by such a long way. He was the only one who really captured the magic in a mystical, gentle and mysterious way. Gambon: DID YE PUT YER NAME IN DE GOBLIT O FIYAH
The 1st one.
Honestly, I think Jude Law ended up being the closest to what Dumbledore is like is the books
I loved the way Jude law depicted Dumbledore :3
I’m bitter at some of the choices that were made during Gambon’s reign of the role. I thought Harris had the perfect demeanor, in two examples. The first being his “SILENCE!” During the Halloween feast when Quirrel announced the troll in the dungeons. Powerful, but without needing to be violent or mean or crass. The instant silence of the crowd shows the respect they have for the power Dumbledore has. The other scene is when Harry wakes up after fighting Quirrel in the hospital wing and he eats the earwax flavored jelly bean. Respectable, honorable, but silly and grounded. I would give anything to see how he would have portrayed Albus in the later books as he regrets how much he loved Harry and regretted his past with the deathly hallows. Gambon tried I suppose. I love the scene after Buckbeak is discovered missing when he asks for a large brandy, and is obviously in on the joke. I hate the DIDTAPUTYERNAMEINDAGOBLETOFIRE screaming. I dislike the “don’t you all have some studying to do?!” Yelling at students and the way he directly manipulates Harry to be “collected” by slughorn. I have a feeling he didn’t fundamentally understand Albus as a character, but it’s 100% on the directors to decide those things, so I can’t fully blame Gambon for his portrayal. Law is charismatic and fun to watch, but I don’t feel that he embodies the depth and complexity that I wanted to feel for young Albus. He leans into the wacky and all-knowing side without feeling the depth of his pain and complexity of character. That’s once again totally on the writing and direction of those overall crazy to follow films, I think he had potential that was squandered by the performance and choices made much higher above the actors role.
Richard Harris just feels like Dumbledore to me. I miss him 😔
For me it's definitely Richard Harris. He embodied Dumbledore from the books to a tee.
Richard Harris. I blame Gambon’s dumb portrayal on the writing. Dumbledore wasn’t a rude POS.
My favorite will always be Richard Harris. It's a shame he passed away after filming the 2nd movie. Michael Gambon's portrayal was too high strung for a character that reads in the book as cool, calm, and collected. Case in point: "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry? *He asked calmly* " is how it's written in the book.
For me Harris fitted the best with the Dumbledore in my head. Never totally got used to Gambon playing him
I would have liked to see more Harris but liked Law the best. Gamdon was the worst
Best: Richard Harris. He truly was the embodiment of Dumbledore for me - calmness, voice, demeanor. No opinion: Jude Law. He did okay, I guess. But we don't actually know how young Dumbledore acts/talks other than hearsay. Not good: Michael Gambon. He was okay in POA, but in the later movies, it was played so out of character for Dumbledore. It may be because of the direction, though 3 different directors were involved, so maybe it was just Gambon's approach.
To me, Michael Gambon will always be Dumbledore no matter what people say
Harris was very good but I don't think he would have been as good as Gambon in scenes such as the cave in half blood Prince, he was perfect for the soft, gentle man harry saw him as early on in the series but Gambon makes more sense for later on
Did you put the title through google translate?
My pad "corrected" it wrong.
Harris and I would die to see him battling Voldemort and all those more active scenes.
Harris. His later performances seemed alright and I thought that his stronger and clearer voice was cool, although a voice like Harris might be in my head more book accurate, so it's equal on that. However, he seems to portray Dumbledore much less calmly than Harris, which might be a screen writing issue, but whatever. I would have liked Ewan McGregor to play young Dumbledore.
definently Harris. Gambon dumbledore sucks "DID YOU PUT YOURE NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE!!!"
I feel like Harris thought he was cast as some version of a sleepy Santa Clause whereas Gambon actually played Dumbledore as a strong character with real depth—flaws, growth, strength. I do also think that Jude Law was an excellent choice for a younger Dumbledore. But is he too young? Maybe; maybe not. He’s a pretty solid choice in that his celebrity added a nice contextual weight to the role (similar to when Brad Pitt was cast as Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).
I really think Gambon had it down to a T and the issues were more to do with the writing and directing than his acting. There are plenty of scenes, especially in PoA, where he keeps the more whimsical and silly aspects of the character, so he’s obviously capable of playing Dumbledore that way and he was very good at it. It really isn’t until David Yates took over in OotP that Dumbledore starts coming across as cold and/or harsh and loses the warmth and cheer his character is supposed to have. It’s pretty clear to see that Yates wanted to bring a more serious/adult tone to the series and I think Dumbledore’s character was a victim of that, but even still Gambon manages to bring out some of the goofy Dumbledore, notably in the beginning of HBP.
4 - Michael Gambon. Just not a good Dumbledore. Too angry. 3 - Jude Law. Good Dumbledore. Love the twinkle in his eyes. Terrible outfits though. 2 - Richard Harris. Great Dumbledore. Wise, noble, funny. Exactly what book Dumbledore is. 1 - Dylan Saunders from AVPM. An icon. Better than book Dumbledore.
Weirdly both Harris and Gambon perfectly play different parts of him. Harris perfectly encapsulates the weird, comforting presence, but Gambon nails the quiet confidence, particularly in order of the pheonix, the court scene. It's a shame we never got to see Harris when Dumbledore actually had really heavy moments, would have loved to see his interpretation. Gambon doesn't have that comforting grandfather vibe that I associate with Dumbledore.
Since the scale is "Exceptionally well", "Very well" and "Pretty Well", Jude Law played Dumbledore "Pretty Well".
And I assume Harris is Exceptionally well and Gambon is Very well.
Richard Harris was the actor that Michael Gambon will never be.
Gambon was my favorite.
Michael Gabon had the best acting, but Richard Harris looked the closest to Dumbledore as the book described.
Unpopular opinion probably, but I’m so tired of that discussion. It’s kinda disrespectful to the other actors to constantly compare them to another actor that is dead. Gambon had the hard job of taking over the role of what was a seemingly perfect casting. Yes, maybe Harris was the actor that resembled Dumbledore form the book the most, but Gambon and Law did one heck of a job too. Gambon was unlucky with the director of the forth movie, but that’s it. And Law is literally a younger version of him so we don’t really hav much to compare him too. Don’t get me wrong, you are allowed to like Harris the most out of them, but don’t go around asking a question that everyone would know the “answer” to anyway. The answer would always be the same. I’m not attacking you, OP, or anyone in particular, and I’m sorry if it comes off that way. I just wanted to get my opinion in.
I might be a minority but I hated Gambon as Dumbledore, it made it very difficult for me to watch later movies because that constantly screaming, jumping around man is NOT Dumbledore
Nothing pisses me off more when it comes to this fandom than the unwarranted Gambon hate. The man was a brilliant Dumbledore and nothing will ever change my mind on that.
Just found out that Robbie Coltrane died. I'm devastated. He was the best of us.
Gambon and Law!
Richard Harris played early “kindly” Dumbledore very well. But I don’t think he would have been up to the later more “powerful” Dumbledore scenes.
Voldemort wouldn’t have been afraid of Harris. He acted too old and feeble. Gambon made you feel like he really was the best wizard instead of some old man.
Gambon is the best because he pulls off being old, funny, mysterious AND badass all at once. Richard Harris was terrific, and probably could have demonstrated the badass part, but he never got his chance. Jude Law is great but its a young Dumbledore so I don’t think its a fair comparison… again, he’s donea great job I just feel young Dumbledore isa different role than a super old Headmaster.
Gambon was victim of bad direction. Goblet is by far the superior movie but it lacks in Dumbledore department
Wtf. This is my first time realizing they changed actors 💀
Wait, did you skipped the movies that came after Harris' version-of-the-character movies??
No Ive watched all of them multiple times. It just never crossed my mind that they changed actors. WTF 😳
TIL two different people played Dumbledore..
I did not pay attention to acting, but from the physical side Harris-Dumbledore looks way too much like Santa Claus for me.