Casting Call
Posted in all the trade papers and forwarded to all talent agencies in the British Isles, 20 July 1999:
We are searching for men, women, boys, and girls to bring to life the beloved characters in the popular Harry Potter series of children's novels by J.K. Rowling and published by Bloomsbury Plc, the third of which, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was released just recently, on 8 July, with the fourth expected to arrive in the coming year. Actors chosen will portray these characters in a continuing serial television program tentatively called The Adventures of Harry Potter, to be produced by CBBC and aired on BBC One (BBC1). Filming will take place throughout Great Britain, with locations in Greater London and the Scottish Highlands expected to dominate the shooting schedule. We expect to commence in the autumn, in order to have 13 half-hour episodes prepared for release contemporaneous with the fourth book, or for the beginning of the 2000 school year in September, whichever comes first. Those who audition are not required to have prior experience in acting, however it will be likely to affect our assessment of your candidature.
Principal roles for the first series of production are as follows. (Candidates for the parts reached through our discussions will be listed in this colour after each entry; bold indicates strong favourites, otherwise they will be listed in declining order of preference or likelihood.)
Harry Potter. male, aged 11. Small for his age. Jet black hair, green eyes. Other hair and eye colours are acceptable, provided that the auditionee will dye his hair and wear coloured contacts in order to better approximate the character on film. Harry is new to the world of magic, which has been hidden from him all his life by his cruel aunt and uncle. Despite his difficult childhood, he is brave and adventurous, though his sense of humour and outlook on life is perhaps slightly more sardonic and self-deprecating than one would expect from a boy his age. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Gabriel Thomson (born 27 October 1986)
Ron Weasley, male, aged 11. Tall, thin, and gangling. Firey red hair, freckles, blue eyes. The red hair must be genuine. Youngest child in a large and particularly old wizarding family, similar to the impoverished upper classes of real-life society. As the youngest, Ron is quite desperate to make his mark, distinct from those of his five older brothers, three of whom also attend the Hogwarts School with him. He becomes fast friends with Harry, and the two are sorted in the same school House (Gryffindor). As his firey red hair would suggest, he is hot-tempered. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Hermione Granger, female, aged 12. Bushy brown hair, brown eyes, enlarged front teeth (this may be achieved through a dental appliance). Intelligent and studious, but also pushy and unyielding. Of non-magical birth, which perhaps helps to explain her drive to succeed in an unfamiliar world where the established wizarding classes have certain advantages. Though standoffish at first, eventually befriends her classmates, as (though her intelligence would suggest the bookish Ravenclaw House) she is sorted into Gryffindor with Harry and Ron. We will accept no candidates born before 1986, as the actress chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of her casting.
Neville Longbottom, male, aged 11. Round-faced, perhaps more plump than stout, but certainly full-bodied. Blond hair is preferable. Despite being of old wizarding stock, rather uncertain with magic; also rather shy and withdrawn, nervous around others, traits rather ill-suited for Gryffindor House. However, his reserves of inner courage are formidable, and will prove invaluable. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Draco Malfoy, male, aged 11. Pale, pointed face with extremely fair (almost white) hair; dyes may be a necessity in this instance. Classic blue-blood character who (unlike the other "upper class" wizarding children) is proud of his status and the vast reserves of money available to his family, lording it over the other children at Hogwarts. A member of Slytherin House, which serves as a repository for children like Malfoy, the character quickly develops a rivalry with Harry Potter after having been spurned by him in favour of Ron Weasley. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Tom Felton (born 22 September 1987). Of all the OTL children cast, he strikes me as the likeliest to have history repeat itself ITTL. He had the most experience of any of the child actors at the time of his casting, and proved a worthy choice for the role IOTL. He originally auditioned for Harry, then Ron, before landing Draco, so he stands a chance of being cast for one of those roles as well, though they'd want Thomson for Harry and Ron really does need to be a natural redhead.
Albus Dumbledore, male, aged 150. Tall, with long, flowing white hair and an equally long beard; his overall appearance would be achieved through makeup. Impossibly wise and sage, though also somewhat jolly, Bohemian, and enigmatic in his character. The primary mentor figure to Harry Potter, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We would prefer an older actor for this part, preferably above the age of sixty, but nevertheless willing to take a lengthy commitment.
Plenty of candidates: Tom Baker, John Neville (died 2011), Ian Richardson (died 2007).
Minerva McGonagall, female, aged 70. Tall and severe, with beady eyes and dark hair drawn into a bun. Speaks with a Scottish accent. Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House. Stern and not to be crossed, but caring and fiercely protective of her charges, and not without a mostly-hidden lighter side. To be played by a mature actress, preferably above the age of forty, who is of Scottish extraction or is capable of perfectly imitating a Scottish accent.
Severus Snape, male, aged about 30 (but may appear much older). Longish, stringy, and oily black hair, black eyes, sallow complexion. Forever scowling, with a long, hooked nose. Makeup is expected to be necessary to achieve this appearance. Though vampiric in appearance, Snape is an ordinary wizard (despite what his students might think). He is, true to his name, severe, imposing, and highly intimidating. The plot requires the character's motivations to be repeatedly called into question, by the other characters along with the viewers at home. The Head of Slytherin House, he is an opponent of Harry Potter, primarily as a continuation of his past feud with the young boy's late father, James. Considering the complexity of this character and the unpleasantness of his appearance, we will accept actors well above the given age of 30 for audition.
Robert Lindsay (born 13 December 1949) is the only candidate as of now, though he is twenty years too old to be the proper age. The problem with casting a genuine thirty-year-old for the part is that many will either look too young or lack the gravitas to properly portray Snape. However, we have the advantage of over a decade of hindsight at this point; are there any actors now in their forties who might have been able to play the part back then?
Rubeus Hagrid, male, aged about 70, but this is obscured through his half-giant ancestry. Very tall (must be played by an actor who is at least six feet tall), quite barbaric in appearance - long, shaggy black hair and a wild, tangled beard. Makeup is expected to be necessary to achieve this appearance. Despite this, he is entirely friendly and quite child-like, given his size and age. Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. The first wizard to meet Harry Potter, though he is himself not allowed to practice magic, and the two remain steadfast allies. He is also fiercely loyal to Albus Dumbledore, and a devoted friend to animals everywhere.
Robbie Coltrane
Quirinus Quirrell, male, aged in his thirties. Rather nondescript physically, but highly affected in his behaviours. Speaks with a stutter, eyes twitch, and wears a rather ostentatious turban. Though a professor at Hogwarts, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, he is shown to be rather incompetent at his position. Easily intimidated by others, he is largely a comic relief character; however, there may be more to him than meets the eye.
Our lead candidate is Stephen Fry (though he is on the older side for the role - several years older than the OTL victor, Ian Hart).
Other characters include Harry's non-magical relatives: his boorish Uncle Vernon, his gossipy Aunt Petunia, and his bloated cousin Dudley; fellow first-year Gryffindor students (Harry's dormitory roommates, the Irish Seamus Finnigan and the black Londoner, Dean Thomas); Ron's elder brothers, the mischievous 13-year-old twins, Fred and George, along with the humourless 15-year-old prefect, Percy; Draco's fellow first-year cronies, Crabbe and Goyle; the also 15-year-old Quidditch Captain, Oliver Wood; other Hogwarts professors, including the dwarfish Professor Flitwick, the hawk-eyed Madam Hooch, and the ghostly Professor Binns; other Hogwarts residents, including caretaker Filch and the malevolent poltergeist Peeves; Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge; and, given our setting in a school, various other children, aged 11 to 18.
(I would have suggested Patricia Routledge as the ideal candidate for Petunia Dursley if she weren't about thirty years too old, fortunately, I have another part in mind for her; for Madam Hooch, we might as well make it a My Family trifecta and nominate Zoe Wanamaker, the OTL victor, for the part; Peeves will of course be played by Rik Mayall, as he almost was IOTL. The leading candidate for Fudge is Nicholas Smith. When considering people to play other children, I might suggest actors from contemporary children's and teen-oriented shows on the air at the time, such as Grange Hill - particularly those who were due to join their casts at the time, and can instead be redirected here.)
Enclosed below is information as to where further enquiries can be made regarding potential auditions.
---
A few suggestions have been made so far with regards to actors in roles first appearing after the first season; Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, for one, as well as my own strong preference for something way down the line: Patricia Routledge as Dolores Umbridge. It's basically only a one-season commitment (plus perhaps a brief cameo later on), so she won't be able to tire of the part as she did in the case of Keeping Up Appearances, despite her advanced age. I remember that Routledge was a hot favourite for the role IOTL, at least in the fandom, and I strongly suspect that Staunton was cast instead because she was an Oscar-Nominated Movie Actress (TM).
But there are plenty more roles to fill, so have at it!
Posted in all the trade papers and forwarded to all talent agencies in the British Isles, 20 July 1999:
We are searching for men, women, boys, and girls to bring to life the beloved characters in the popular Harry Potter series of children's novels by J.K. Rowling and published by Bloomsbury Plc, the third of which, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was released just recently, on 8 July, with the fourth expected to arrive in the coming year. Actors chosen will portray these characters in a continuing serial television program tentatively called The Adventures of Harry Potter, to be produced by CBBC and aired on BBC One (BBC1). Filming will take place throughout Great Britain, with locations in Greater London and the Scottish Highlands expected to dominate the shooting schedule. We expect to commence in the autumn, in order to have 13 half-hour episodes prepared for release contemporaneous with the fourth book, or for the beginning of the 2000 school year in September, whichever comes first. Those who audition are not required to have prior experience in acting, however it will be likely to affect our assessment of your candidature.
Principal roles for the first series of production are as follows. (Candidates for the parts reached through our discussions will be listed in this colour after each entry; bold indicates strong favourites, otherwise they will be listed in declining order of preference or likelihood.)
Harry Potter. male, aged 11. Small for his age. Jet black hair, green eyes. Other hair and eye colours are acceptable, provided that the auditionee will dye his hair and wear coloured contacts in order to better approximate the character on film. Harry is new to the world of magic, which has been hidden from him all his life by his cruel aunt and uncle. Despite his difficult childhood, he is brave and adventurous, though his sense of humour and outlook on life is perhaps slightly more sardonic and self-deprecating than one would expect from a boy his age. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Gabriel Thomson (born 27 October 1986)
Ron Weasley, male, aged 11. Tall, thin, and gangling. Firey red hair, freckles, blue eyes. The red hair must be genuine. Youngest child in a large and particularly old wizarding family, similar to the impoverished upper classes of real-life society. As the youngest, Ron is quite desperate to make his mark, distinct from those of his five older brothers, three of whom also attend the Hogwarts School with him. He becomes fast friends with Harry, and the two are sorted in the same school House (Gryffindor). As his firey red hair would suggest, he is hot-tempered. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Hermione Granger, female, aged 12. Bushy brown hair, brown eyes, enlarged front teeth (this may be achieved through a dental appliance). Intelligent and studious, but also pushy and unyielding. Of non-magical birth, which perhaps helps to explain her drive to succeed in an unfamiliar world where the established wizarding classes have certain advantages. Though standoffish at first, eventually befriends her classmates, as (though her intelligence would suggest the bookish Ravenclaw House) she is sorted into Gryffindor with Harry and Ron. We will accept no candidates born before 1986, as the actress chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of her casting.
Neville Longbottom, male, aged 11. Round-faced, perhaps more plump than stout, but certainly full-bodied. Blond hair is preferable. Despite being of old wizarding stock, rather uncertain with magic; also rather shy and withdrawn, nervous around others, traits rather ill-suited for Gryffindor House. However, his reserves of inner courage are formidable, and will prove invaluable. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Draco Malfoy, male, aged 11. Pale, pointed face with extremely fair (almost white) hair; dyes may be a necessity in this instance. Classic blue-blood character who (unlike the other "upper class" wizarding children) is proud of his status and the vast reserves of money available to his family, lording it over the other children at Hogwarts. A member of Slytherin House, which serves as a repository for children like Malfoy, the character quickly develops a rivalry with Harry Potter after having been spurned by him in favour of Ron Weasley. We will accept no candidates born before 1985, as the actor chosen to portray the role must be prepubescent at the time of his casting.
Tom Felton (born 22 September 1987). Of all the OTL children cast, he strikes me as the likeliest to have history repeat itself ITTL. He had the most experience of any of the child actors at the time of his casting, and proved a worthy choice for the role IOTL. He originally auditioned for Harry, then Ron, before landing Draco, so he stands a chance of being cast for one of those roles as well, though they'd want Thomson for Harry and Ron really does need to be a natural redhead.
Albus Dumbledore, male, aged 150. Tall, with long, flowing white hair and an equally long beard; his overall appearance would be achieved through makeup. Impossibly wise and sage, though also somewhat jolly, Bohemian, and enigmatic in his character. The primary mentor figure to Harry Potter, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We would prefer an older actor for this part, preferably above the age of sixty, but nevertheless willing to take a lengthy commitment.
Plenty of candidates: Tom Baker, John Neville (died 2011), Ian Richardson (died 2007).
Minerva McGonagall, female, aged 70. Tall and severe, with beady eyes and dark hair drawn into a bun. Speaks with a Scottish accent. Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House. Stern and not to be crossed, but caring and fiercely protective of her charges, and not without a mostly-hidden lighter side. To be played by a mature actress, preferably above the age of forty, who is of Scottish extraction or is capable of perfectly imitating a Scottish accent.
Severus Snape, male, aged about 30 (but may appear much older). Longish, stringy, and oily black hair, black eyes, sallow complexion. Forever scowling, with a long, hooked nose. Makeup is expected to be necessary to achieve this appearance. Though vampiric in appearance, Snape is an ordinary wizard (despite what his students might think). He is, true to his name, severe, imposing, and highly intimidating. The plot requires the character's motivations to be repeatedly called into question, by the other characters along with the viewers at home. The Head of Slytherin House, he is an opponent of Harry Potter, primarily as a continuation of his past feud with the young boy's late father, James. Considering the complexity of this character and the unpleasantness of his appearance, we will accept actors well above the given age of 30 for audition.
Robert Lindsay (born 13 December 1949) is the only candidate as of now, though he is twenty years too old to be the proper age. The problem with casting a genuine thirty-year-old for the part is that many will either look too young or lack the gravitas to properly portray Snape. However, we have the advantage of over a decade of hindsight at this point; are there any actors now in their forties who might have been able to play the part back then?
Rubeus Hagrid, male, aged about 70, but this is obscured through his half-giant ancestry. Very tall (must be played by an actor who is at least six feet tall), quite barbaric in appearance - long, shaggy black hair and a wild, tangled beard. Makeup is expected to be necessary to achieve this appearance. Despite this, he is entirely friendly and quite child-like, given his size and age. Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. The first wizard to meet Harry Potter, though he is himself not allowed to practice magic, and the two remain steadfast allies. He is also fiercely loyal to Albus Dumbledore, and a devoted friend to animals everywhere.
Robbie Coltrane
Quirinus Quirrell, male, aged in his thirties. Rather nondescript physically, but highly affected in his behaviours. Speaks with a stutter, eyes twitch, and wears a rather ostentatious turban. Though a professor at Hogwarts, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, he is shown to be rather incompetent at his position. Easily intimidated by others, he is largely a comic relief character; however, there may be more to him than meets the eye.
Our lead candidate is Stephen Fry (though he is on the older side for the role - several years older than the OTL victor, Ian Hart).
Other characters include Harry's non-magical relatives: his boorish Uncle Vernon, his gossipy Aunt Petunia, and his bloated cousin Dudley; fellow first-year Gryffindor students (Harry's dormitory roommates, the Irish Seamus Finnigan and the black Londoner, Dean Thomas); Ron's elder brothers, the mischievous 13-year-old twins, Fred and George, along with the humourless 15-year-old prefect, Percy; Draco's fellow first-year cronies, Crabbe and Goyle; the also 15-year-old Quidditch Captain, Oliver Wood; other Hogwarts professors, including the dwarfish Professor Flitwick, the hawk-eyed Madam Hooch, and the ghostly Professor Binns; other Hogwarts residents, including caretaker Filch and the malevolent poltergeist Peeves; Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge; and, given our setting in a school, various other children, aged 11 to 18.
(I would have suggested Patricia Routledge as the ideal candidate for Petunia Dursley if she weren't about thirty years too old, fortunately, I have another part in mind for her; for Madam Hooch, we might as well make it a My Family trifecta and nominate Zoe Wanamaker, the OTL victor, for the part; Peeves will of course be played by Rik Mayall, as he almost was IOTL. The leading candidate for Fudge is Nicholas Smith. When considering people to play other children, I might suggest actors from contemporary children's and teen-oriented shows on the air at the time, such as Grange Hill - particularly those who were due to join their casts at the time, and can instead be redirected here.)
Enclosed below is information as to where further enquiries can be made regarding potential auditions.
---
A few suggestions have been made so far with regards to actors in roles first appearing after the first season; Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, for one, as well as my own strong preference for something way down the line: Patricia Routledge as Dolores Umbridge. It's basically only a one-season commitment (plus perhaps a brief cameo later on), so she won't be able to tire of the part as she did in the case of Keeping Up Appearances, despite her advanced age. I remember that Routledge was a hot favourite for the role IOTL, at least in the fandom, and I strongly suspect that Staunton was cast instead because she was an Oscar-Nominated Movie Actress (TM).
But there are plenty more roles to fill, so have at it!
