Harry Potter fans want Jared Harris to play young Dumbledore

The sequel to the ‘Harry Potter’ spin-off movie ‘Fantastic Beasts’ is set to feature a young Albus Dumbledore and Potter fans have already decided who they want to play the iconic Hogwarts teacher – actor Jared Harris.

Jared is the 55-year-old son of Richard Harris who, of course, played Dumbledore in the first two Potter films ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ and ‘Chamber of Secrets’. The veteran actor sadly died in 2002 and was replaced for the remainder of the film series by Sir Michael Gambon.

(Fun fact: Sir Ian McKellen was offered the role but turned it down because he felt it was too similar to Gandalf.)

A Potter fan shared this awesome mock up of Jared Harris as a young Dumbledore on Reddit where it was upvoted thousands of times with fans clearly at ease with the idea of the ‘Mad Men’ star taking the role.

Dumbledore will likely feature in future ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films with the new Wizarding World saga set to tell the tale of the Hogwarts professor’s long rivalry with the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

Jared Harris has responded to the fan campaign saying Warner Bros. are probably considering him for the part but he remains sceptical about whether he’d actually land the iconic role made famous by his father.

“They’re obviously thinking about it,” Jared told the Evening Standard, “I haven’t heard anything and I don’t expect to. It’s not up to me.”

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“Having seen [fan campaigns] before I find that [film bosses] don’t like to have their hands forced,” he said.

“These campaigns almost always go in a different direction.”

However that hasn’t stopped fans making their voices heard on social media.

One fly in the magical ointment however could be Jared’s age. According to Potter lore Dumbledore was born in 1995, which would make his age during the current ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film – set in 1926 – 45. Jared Harris is 55, making him a touch too old to play Dumbledore.

However that’s never stopped Hollywood in the past, so who knows?

Ewan McGregor would be our choice if anyone’s listening.

(HT: Radio Times)