If you’re a Harry Potter fanatic, then by now you likely know both the books and the movies by heart. And… if you’re being honest, you might’ve already authored a 1,000-word essay in your head about the ways in which the movies fell short of J.K. Rowling’s New York Times best-selling hepatology.
And while some performances and casting decisions in the Harry Potter movie are certainly up for debate, I think all Potterheads can agree that these three lived up to — and perhaps even exceeded — all expectations.
Daniel Radcliff as Harry
If you read the books prior to seeing the movies, then you know just how perfect Daniel Radcliffe was as Harry.
And according to casting director, Janet Hirshenson, Daniel was always a top contender for the role, for a number of reasons. First, he fit the physical description the book gave of Harry, particularly in terms of his age and eye color. But more importantly, Radcliffe had the it factor that directors were looking for: the ability to capture both the vulnerable and powerful sides of Harry as J.K. Rowling paints them in her best-selling series.
And from a viewer’s perspective, the casting team couldn’t have picked a better actor for Harry Potter fans to grow up with. As Screen Rant put it, “Radcliffe played Harry with a great combination of wonder and rage. He was unafraid of exploring the parts of Harry’s character that was a little prickly or uncomfortable,” and that is, in large part, what made him such a perfect fit for the role.
Emma Watson as Hermione
Just as Radcliffe was the perfect Harry, it is impossible to dispute the fact that Watson was the perfect Hermione. If you didn’t know better, you might even think that Rowling wrote the character of Hermione with Emma Watson in mind. Between her natural intelligence, quick-wittedness, and go-getter attitude, Watson is basically the living embodiment of Hermione.
Even in the first movie, when she was just 9 years old, her tendency to accidentally mouth her fellow cast members lines before they could say them got her into a bit of trouble. But you have to admit, if Hermione was reincarnated as a 9-year-old British actress, this totally seems like something she’d do.
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape
Severus Snape’s multi-dimensional character, likely made him very tricky to cast. Though at first he can be almost entirely characterized by his cold, dark, sarcastic sense of humor, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that there’s more to Severus Snape than meets the eye. You come to see him as a dynamic character, undergoing internal change and development throughout the hepatology. So, when it came to finding the right actor for Severus Snape, the casting team definitely had a lot to consider.
But no matter who made the final call, or what went into the decision, they hit the nail on the head with Alan Rickman. Rickman captured Severus Snape’s dry humor perfectly, killed the intimidating-teacher role, and perhaps most importantly, he always kept us on our toes.
