10 Actors Who Were Almost Cast in Harry Potter

Though two different actors have portrayed Dumbledore (first Richard Harris, then Michael Gambon after Harris's death), McKellen was also offered the role of the Hogwarts headmaster.

Watts was set to play Narcissa, Lucius Malfoy's wife and Draco's mother, but her agency rejected the role for her. English actress Helen McRory ended up as Narcissa.

Aiken, best known for Stepmom, was actually given the prize role as Harry (pictured here in 2001, the year Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released), but he lost the part a day later. The problem: he wasn't British, and producers wanted a Brit to play the young wizard. Though I love Radcliffe, doesn't young Aiken kind of look like the book illustrations of Harry?

Before Emma Thompson played the batty professor of Divination, Tilda Swinton was offered the part.

Grant was cast as Lockhart, the narcissistic Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, but he had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts, leaving the role open for Kenneth Branagh.

Pike, who has since gone on to being nominated for an Oscar for Gone Girl, was the first choice to play Skeeter, but she said no to playing the nosy journalist.

The Lie to Me star was in talks for the role of Snape, but he decided to go for another movie role instead (in Planet of the Apes. Wonder how he feels about that now). Alan Rickman went on to take the part of Harry's nemesis.

While Thewlis didn't miss the boat on starring in the Harry Potter series (he plays Lupin), he was originally up for the role of Professor Quirrell, the teacher who becomes possessed by Voldemort in the first film.

Slughorn, the professor who teaches young Tom Riddle about Horcruxes, is played by Jim Broadbent. However, before he was cast, late British actor Hoskins was considered for the role.

Campbell-Bower wanted to play Tom Riddle, and though he didn't get it (the role went to Fear the Walking Dead star Frank Dillane), he got to star in another famous book series: Twilight, and he appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as Gellert Grindelwald. (Bonus: he also dated Bonnie Wright, aka Ginny Weasley).