While the Harry Potter movie franchise was renowned for its massive cast of the UK's best actors, it also saw a surprising number of recast characters. Many Harry Potter stars became synonymous with their characters, as an entire generation of fans will associate Ralph Fiennes with his role as Lord Voldemort. But Fiennes wasn't the first person to play the Dark Lord, and it appears that the franchise took full advantage at opportunities to recast roles with bigger stars.
Recasting a popular character can be a jarring experience for the audience, so it's never one producers take lightly. In terms of the Harry Potter franchise, it's important to note that not every book had been released by the time the movies debuted. This means that characters who were minor in the first part of the story may have had bigger roles to play as Harry Potter's journey as the Chosen One progressed, and the original actors were no longer suited to their characters. Harry Potter is also a coming-of-age story, which means that many actors were children, and they may not have wished or been able to continue filming during such a formative time in their lives. And, of course, sometimes the reasons for a recasting are tragic.
Albus Dumbledore - Richard Harris Was Replaced By Michael Gambon
Richard Harris portrayed Hogwarts headmaster and Harry Potter's mentor, the Gryffindor-biased Albus Dumbledore in the first two films, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The actor died of Hodgkin's disease in 2002, shortly before the release of Chamber of Secrets. He was replaced by Michael Gambon, who assumed the role from third film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban through to the completion of the franchise.
Bill Weasley - Richard Fish Was Replaced By Domnhall Gleeson
Richard Fish briefly portrayed Bill in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, though he didn't have any lines. Bill posed for a picture with the rest of his family on a trip to Egypt, and the magic photo showed the happy Weasleys waving at the camera. Meanwhile, Domnhall Gleeson had a bit of an advantage in getting cast as Bill for Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and 2, as his father, Brendan Gleeson, portrayed Mad-Eye Moody, one of the many "cursed" Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. In an interview with BUILD Series, Gleeson shared that he was visiting his father on the Harry Potter set when he was asked to stand in for one of the Weasleys. Gleeson also revealed he had auditioned for previous Harry Potter roles, including Stan Shunpike, but was not cast. However, that all changed when he auditioned for and landed the role of Bill.
Elphias Doge - Peter Cartwright Was Replaced By David Ryall
A schoolmate and dear friend to Albus Dumbledore, Elphias Doge first appears onscreen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Peter Cartwright portrays the character, who is part of the Order's Advance Guard that safely transports Harry to 12 Grimmauld Place. Cartwright spoke no lines, and was replaced by David Ryall in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Elphias has a bit more to do in this film, as he has a conversation with Harry at Bill and Fleur's wedding. This was likely due to Ryall's significant acting experience over Cartwright, as he was renowned on both stage and screen.
Lord Voldemort - Richard Bremmer And Ian Hart Were Replaced By Ralph Fiennes
Sorcerer's Stone saw two actors play the role of the Dark Lord. Richard Bremmer appeared in the flashback depicting Voldemort's murder of Harry's parents, though his face was not seen. Ian Hart didn't physically appear onscreen, but his face was CGI-ed onto the back of Professor Quirrell's head for the film's climax, and Hart also loaned his voice for the scene. However, both actors were replaced by Ralph Fiennes for Harry Potter of the Goblet of Fire, in which Voldemort makes his grand return. Bremmer has publicly speculated that producers wanted a bigger star for the final movies, in which the villain played a more substantial role. There's merit to this theory, as Fiennes hung onto the Voldemort role all the way until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
The Fat Lady - Elizabeth Spriggs Was Replaced By Dawn French
The Fat Lady is a moving portrait in Hogwarts whose job is to guard the door to the Gryffindor common room, only granting entry to those who provide the proper password. She is first portrayed by Elizabeth Spriggs in Sorcerer's Stone in which the character is solemn in her password-asking duties. However, Dawn French had much more to do as the Fat Lady in Prisoner of Azkaban, as her portrait is attacked by Sirius Black. The Fat Lady also humorously tries to break a glass using just her singing voice. The recasting makes sense, as while French is a seasoned Shakespearean actor, French is known for her comedic work, and is more suited to the Fat Lady's hammy nature in the third film.
Angelina Johnson - Danielle Tabor Was Replaced By Tiana Benjamin
A chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina Johnson eventually became team captain in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Danielle Tabor played Angelina for the first three films, and Tiana Benjamin took over the role in the Easter-egg-heavy Goblet of Fire. Other than Benjamin having a longer filmography, it's speculated that Tabor was replaced because she looked younger than the Weasley twins, and Goblet of Fire sees Fred taking Angelina to the Yule Ball. However, the fourth film was Angelina's last appearance, as Benjamin's commitment to British soap opera EastEnders prevented her from returning to film Order of the Phoenix.
The Grey Lady (aka Helena Ravenclaw) - Nina Young Was Replaced By Kelly Macdonald
As a Hogwarts ghost, Nina Young's the Grey Lady didn't do much more than float in the background in Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. The character had so little to do that Young wasn't even officially credited in the second film. But in The Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the Grey Lady had a much more substantial role, as it was revealed that she's actually Helena Ravenclaw, Hogwarts founder Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. Helena also shared an important scene with Harry about the diadem Horcrux, so production likely wanted to get a more experienced actor for the role, which resulted in established actor Kelly Macdonald becoming Helena Ravenclaw's ghost.
Tom The Innkeeper - Derek Deadman Was Replaced By Jim Tavaré
In Sorcerer's Stone, Leaky Cauldron innkeeper Tom was a jolly man who knew Hagrid's drink order and was over the moon to meet the Boy Who Lived. However, actor Derek Deadman didn't do much acting since his Harry Potter debut, and he passed away due to complications from diabetes in 2014. Jim Tavaré replaced Deadman in the role for the Prisoner of Azkaban. This could have been due to Deadman's health, or that Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón, who took over after Chris Columbus exited the Harry Potter franchise, took the story in a much darker direction, as Tavaré's Igor-inspired performance and aesthetic were much more frightening than Deadman's portrayal.
Griphook - Verne Troyer Was Replaced By Warwick Davis
The main Harry Potter cast was almost entirely composed of English acting heavyweights, so American actor Verne Troyer was an anomaly, as he was cast to play the goblin Griphook, who worked at Gringotts Bank, in Sorcerer's Stone. However, Griphook was voiced by British actor Warwick Davis, who also played Professor Flitwick, Hogwarts' Charms professor. The producers were likely impressed by Davis' dual performance, and Davis took over the role of Griphook completely for Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and 2.
Katie Bell - Emily Dale Was Replaced By Georgina Leonidas
Katie Bell was another Gryffindor Quidditch chaser and fellow teammate of Harry's. She was played by Emily Dale in Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and was replaced by Georgina Leonidas from Half-Blood Prince to the end of the series. Unsurprisingly, this was likely because Leonidas was a more experienced actor, and Half-Blood Prince saw Katie fall victim to a cursed necklace, so she had more to do.
Lavender Brown - Jennifer Smith Was Replaced By Jessie Cave
Lavender Brown made a brief first appearance in Chamber of Secrets, though she had no lines, and actor Kathleen Cauley wasn't even credited for the role. Jennifer Smith replaced Cauley for Prisoner of Azkaban, and though Lavender still didn't have any dialogue, she was in the background of several more scenes. But the character had a much more substantial role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as she became Ron Weasley's girlfriend. This is when Jessie Cave was recast as Lavender, which she assumed for the rest of the franchise. It's likely that Cave was cast for her more extensive filmography, though the replacement decision was met with controversy, as she is a white actor who replaced two people of color. Lavender's race isn't mentioned in the books, nor is it a factor in the storyline, so many viewers accused the films of whitewashing an already predominantly white franchise.
Alicia Spinnet - Leilah Sutherland Was Replaced By Rochelle Douglas
Alicia Spinnet was another chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team when Harry attended Hogwarts. Portrayed as a good-natured person who sticks up for her friends, Alicia didn't speak in the Harry Potter movies, and was only seen in Quidditch scenes. Leilah Sutherland played her in Sorcerer's Stone and Rochelle Douglas took over the role for Chamber of Secrets. This is the only acting credit for both Sutherland and Douglas, and there is no known reason for the replacement. Douglas is also a gymnastics coach, so it's possible that she was better equipped to shoot the action-heavy Quidditch scenes.
Padma Patil - Sharon Sandhu Was Replaced By Afshan Azadp
Interestingly, Padma Patil was a Ravenclaw in the books, but the movies made her a Gryffindor along with her twin sister, Parvati. Sharon Sandhu played Padma in Prisoner of Azkaban, and like many of the other Gryffindor students, she mainly served as a background character. It is unknown why Afshan Azad replaced Sandhu for Goblet of Fire, but it was again perhaps because Padma had a greater role, as she was Ron's least successful relationship in Harry Potter, serving as his beleaguered date for the Yule Ball. Azad continued to play Padma for the rest of the franchise.
Parvati Patil - Sitara Shah Was Replaced By Shefali Chowdhury
The more outgoing of the twins, Parvati Patil is a Gryffindor through and through. She first appears alongside twin Padma in Prisoner of Azkaban as part of Harry Potter's small Hogwarts class. Parvati gets a little more screentime than her twin, as she learns how to defeat a Boggart in Defense Against the Dark Arts and is shown enjoying Divination class with Lavender Brown. However, similar to Angelina Johnson's recasting, Shah was likely replaced by Shefali Chowdhury because she looked so young, and production wanted someone older for the Yule Ball sequences, as Parvati was Harry's date. Unlike her sister Padma, however, Parvati only appeared from Goblet of Fire to Half-Blood Prince, though it's unclear why.
Pansy Parkinson - Genevieve Gaunt Was Replaced By Scarlett Hefner
Though the books don't show it, Slytherin had great heroes like Regulus Black. But when most readers think of Salazar's house, they think of people like Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy's good friend and all-around Slytherin bully. However, Pansy didn't factor much into the movies. This might explain why she was played by four different actors. Katherine Nicholson took the role for Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and Lauren Shotton played Pansy in Goblet of Fire — both actors were uncredited. In between, Genevieve Gaunt was cast in Prisoner of Azkaban, and she was seen bullying Harry in Care of Magical Creatures class and tending to Draco after he hurt his arm. Scarlett Hefner (née Byrne) played Pansy throughout the rest of the series, starting with Order of the Phoenix. Reasons for the constant recastings are unknown, though other Harry Potter recastings suggest this could be because of age or experience.