What the Harry Potter actors looked like in their first roles in films and TV series (20 photos)

More than 20 years have passed since the release of the very first "Harry Potter" film. It's incredible how quickly time has flown.

While the film marked the career debut of the children who played Ron and Hermione, it only confirmed the success of the adults and established actors. But where and how did they get their start?

Let's take a look at what the "Harry Potter" actors looked like at the beginning of their careers.





Richard Harris – Albus Dumbledore (The Guns of Navarone)



Richard Harris has played significant roles in films such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Gladiator, and A Man Called Horse. Remarkably, he began landing leading roles from his very first film. In 1959, he made his leading role debut in "The Ginger Man," and two years later played one of the leads in "The Long, the Short, and the Tall." But he also often found himself limited to bit parts and supporting roles—one of them being a pilot named "Barnsby," who played a minor, yet memorable, character in "The Guns of Navarone."

Alan Rickman – Severus Snape (Romeo and Juliet)





Alan Rickman made his film debut in Die Hard, but it was Hollywood that he found himself in only after establishing himself in British theater and television, where he first appeared before audiences as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. Rickman played eight more episodic and supporting roles in television series before he was offered the role of Hans Gruber, opposite Bruce Willis.

Robbie Coltrane – Rubeus Hagrid (Flash Gordon)



Only the most devoted Robbie Coltrane fans know that he first appeared on the big screen as a minor, nameless villain in Flash Gordon. Robbie's appearance was so minor that he was credited as "the man on the airfield." However, he had already made his mark on the small screen a year earlier, in the anthology film Play of the Day. "The Man on the Airfield" marked the beginning of Robbie Coltrane's villainous career. He later became famous for playing villains, but thanks to Harry Potter and Cracker's Method, he is also remembered for his positive side.

Tom Felton – Draco Malfoy (The Tinkerbells)



While Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the first film of their acting careers for Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and many other young actors, Tom Felton already boasted a relatively significant filmography, consisting of several films and television series. The first of these was Peagreen Clock in The Tinkerbells, in which he starred alongside Jim Broadbent and Mark Williams, known for their roles as Horace Slughorn and Arthur Weasley, respectively.

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter ("David Copperfield")



Daniel Radcliffe's first role had a significant impact on his career, as it led to his role in "Harry Potter." While casting the lead actor, director Chris Columbus watched the television film "David Copperfield" starring Maggie Smith and spotted young Daniel Radcliffe playing the young Copperfield. Columbus immediately knew he had the right man for the role, but later learned that Radcliffe no longer wanted to act. He and producer David Heyman had to work hard not only to convince Daniel, but also to persuade his parents to take several years out of his childhood and adolescence to film Harry Potter.

Maggie Smith – Minerva McGonagall (Nowhere to Go)



Before becoming a film actress, Maggie Smith had built a distinguished career in the theater and became a respected actress, even respected by Laurence Olivier. Therefore, in her first television and film roles, she immediately began landing leading and supporting roles. For one of these, in Nowhere to Go, she received her first film award nomination. Afterward, Maggie collaborated with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Michael Caine, and many others. Smith approached Harry Potter as a true cinematic colossus, making actors like Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane feel like helpless children in comparison.

Fiona Shaw – Petunia Dursley (My Left Foot)



Actress Fiona Shaw's real last name is Wilson. Six years after her first role, Shaw starred in My Left Foot as Dr. Eileen Cole. The film starred Daniel Day-Lewis, who was so immersed in his role that he remained in his wheelchair even during breaks between takes.

Richard Griffiths – Vernon Dursley (Chariots of Fire)



Richard Griffiths, who played Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter, began his career in Shakespearean plays and made his film debut in 1976 with It Shouldn't Happen to the Vet. Always a character actor, Richard easily landed supporting roles and always lived up to expectations, including in Chariots of Fire, The French Lieutenant's Woman, and Gandhi.

Ralph Fiennes – Voldemort (Romeo and Juliet)



Like Richard Griffiths, Ralph Fiennes gained fame in Shakespearean plays, but he more often played leading roles. In 1995, he won a Tony Award for his role as Hamlet in the play of the same name, and in 1986, he played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. Beyond the theater, Fiennes is known to millions for Schindler's List, Onegin, and The English Patient, and more recently, he has starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Clave, and Menu.

Jason Isaacs – Lucius Malfoy (Dragonheart)



Jason Isaacs once admitted that because of his background, he was often ridiculed and even bullied. However, this not only strengthened him but also helped him with his future profession. He remembered all the anger he encountered in his youth and began to channel it in his villainous roles, particularly in Peter Pan, Harry Potter, and The Patriot.

Kenneth Branagh – Gilderoy Lockhart (The Overcome)



Kenneth Branagh didn't even receive a credit for his first cameo role in 1981's Chariots of Fire, but within just ten years, he had become one of the most sought-after actors. He frequently starred with Emma Thompson, for example in Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V: The Battle of Agincourt.

Gary Oldman – Sirius Black (Memento)



One of Timothy Spall's first roles was as Douglas in Memento. In the same film, Gary Oldman played Daniel. Gary is also a character actor, but he has had more luck – thanks to his attractive appearance, Oldman often landed roles as both leading heroes and villains.

Before the 2000s, he had roles in Dracula, Leon, The Fifth Element, and True Romance, all of which featured villains. Since the 2000s, Oldman has shifted his image, appearing as positive characters in The Dark Knight, Harry Potter, and Tiptoes.

David Thewlis – Remus Lupin (Buzz Cut and Curls)



Despite his distinctive appearance, David has enjoyed success in both supporting and leading roles. Thewlis's first film was the short "Buzz Cut and Curls," and he then dominated the screen with "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," "Dragonheart," "Seven Years in Tibet," "Kingdom of Heaven," "Total Eclipse," and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Brendan Gleeson – Alastor Moody (Braveheart)



Brendan Gleeson's acting career began relatively late – he didn't appear on screen until he was 34, and he starred in "Braveheart" at 39. Brendan Gleeson is one of the finest Irish actors, and despite his high demand in Hollywood, he regularly appears in domestic films and promotes Irish cinema better than many others, as evidenced by "The Banshees of Inisherin," "In Bruges," "Once Upon a Time in Ireland," and "Calvary," which are known far beyond Brendan Gleeson's country.

Helena Bonham Carter – Bellatrix Lestrange ("A Room with a View")



Helena Bonham Carter experienced success from her very first roles. "A Room with a View" and "Lady Jane" not only brought her fame but also cemented her image as an innocent. However, Helena didn't like him, so she subsequently took on more eccentric roles and gained popularity with Fight Club, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows.

Imelda Staunton – Dolores Umbridge (Sense and Sensibility)



In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Imelda Staunton has a rather awkward scene with Professor Trelawney, played by Emma Thompson. The chemistry between the two actresses is palpable, and it's hardly surprising, as they've worked together many times, including when Staunton was just starting out in film. Imelda and Emma starred together in "Peter's Friends," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Sense and Sensibility," and "Nanny McPhee." The cast of these films also included Kenneth Branagh, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Keaton, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and others.

David Bradley – Argus Filch (A Family at War)



While working on optical instruments, David Bradley finally realized he wanted to pursue acting as his career and went to study at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. Immediately after graduating, he became a theater actor and simultaneously began appearing in television series. In 1971, David played a recurring role in the series "A Family at War" and continued to play episodic roles until 1997. David's film career fared somewhat worse—or rather, nonexistent. Before "Harry Potter," he had appeared in only five feature films in 30 years.

Emma Thompson – Sybill Trelawney (Henry V: The Battle of Agincourt)



It's worth noting that Emma's roles in films with Kenneth Branagh weren't just a coincidence – Branagh not only played the leading characters, but also directed them. "Henry V: The Battle of Agincourt" was Emma's first film. Over the next four years, Thompson starred in three more films directed by Branagh. However, Branagh wasn't the only Harry Potter actor in which Emma starred. In 1997, she appeared in Alan Rickman's The Winter Guest, which grossed over $1 million at the box office and won numerous awards, including at the Venice Film Festival.

Mark Williams – Arthur Weasley (101 Dalmatians)



Around the same time as Richard Griffiths and Ralph Fiennes, Mark Williams worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he gained fame not through theater but through films and television series. His first work was a sketch show called The Fast Show, and a little later, 101 Dalmatians, in which Williams played Horace opposite Hugh Laurie.