The Harry Potter Movies Had One Rule (And It Prevented Robin Williams From Appearing)

One of the biggest moments in entertainment history has to be Harry Potter. With over 500 million copies sold worldwide – including the seven main books and three extras – the series has been translated into more than 80 languages. Even today, it’s still a massive hit, especially when you factor in the impact of the movies. The franchise left such a mark that the entire cast is still fondly remembered for their roles (not counting a spinoff and a reboot that’s already in the works). But even though everything came together perfectly, it’s kind of wild to think that we could have seen totally different actors in some of these iconic roles. And the only reason that didn’t happen? J.K. Rowling.

At one point, it felt like the entire world was obsessed with Harry Potter. When the movie adaptation was announced, many actors were eager to jump on board – Eddie Redmayne, Saoirse Ronan, Jamie Campbell Bower, Naomi Watts, Rosie O’Donnell, and more. One of the most persistent, though, was Robin Williams. By then, he was already a Hollywood legend, an Oscar winner, and a huge box office draw. He actually reached out for a shot at playing Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but no luck. He even tried again for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, hoping to land the role of Remus Lupin. Did it work out? Obviously not.

Anyone hearing about this for the first time would probably be shocked. Casting Williams would’ve been a guaranteed win, especially since he could balance drama and comedy like no one else. It wasn’t about his talent, though – it all came down to one simple rule: “No American actors in this movie.” Rowling wanted to preserve the cultural authenticity of the story and keep it entirely British. Chris Columbus, the director of the first two films, was actually friends with Williams but had no choice but to stick to the rule. Even so, he had nothing but praise for the actor, saying his take on Lupin would’ve been something special. “Robin would have been brilliant,” Columbus told Business Insider. “It would have been a different interpretation – I thought David Thewlis was great – but Robin would have been brilliant.”

Once Williams was ruled out, it was pretty clear no other American actor stood a chance either. If Columbus had to say “no” to him, there was no way anyone else was getting through. Even for Harry himself, an American actor, Liam Aiken (best known for A Series of Unfortunate Events), was considered and even auditioned. But again, talent alone wasn’t enough.

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Of course, there were some exceptions, but with conditions. Columbus managed to get his daughter a small role at Hogwarts – as long as she remained silent on screen. “She worked about 80 days,” but apparently, she was just an extra, never saying a single word (even though she got to try on the Sorting Hat). Another exception was Verne Troyer, who played Griphook the goblin. But did he last? Not really. His co-star Warwick Davis provided Griphook’s voice in the first movie, and by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Davis completely took over the role, as the character’s presence became more significant (Troyer had some personal issues that weren’t great for marketing, which likely influenced the decision as well).

When the movies came out, a lot of the actors – especially the Golden Trio – were fresh faces who only became famous because of Harry Potter. And while the British-only casting idea was bold and, to some extent, understandable, it also feels a little outdated. These days, it’s totally normal to see American actors playing British characters and vice versa. Just look at Tom Holland – his Spider-Man has a perfect American accent. However, considering how often Rowling finds herself at the center of controversy nowadays, maybe it’s not all that surprising.

For the upcoming reboot, the casting call for the students – especially the three leads – only has a couple of main requirements: the actors need to speak in their natural accents and be residents of the UK or Ireland. According to the BBC, the casting is also committed to being inclusive and diverse. But with Rowling involved as an executive producer, fans can’t help but wonder if things will play out the same way as before. While there doesn’t seem to be a strict rule in place this time, the production does appear to be prioritizing local actors for most of the main roles at least.

The all-British cast wasn’t a bad move – no denying that. But it’s still fun to imagine an alternate version of the Harry Potter films with some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Maybe it wouldn’t have been a problem for the audience, but more specifically for Rowling. It’s truly unfortunate that we never had the chance to see Robin Williams as Hagrid or Lupin. That would have been unforgettable.

All Harry Potter films are available to stream on Max.