Here's Who Almost Played Dumbledore In "Harry Potter" After Richard Harris Died

The Harry Potter franchise almost had a completely different actor take on the iconic role of Albus Dumbledore!

Most fans know that back in 2002, Richard Harris, the original headmaster of Hogwarts, passed away suddenly, leaving filmmakers needing to find a replacement.

While they eventually cast Michael Gambon in the part, there was one other actor who was also seriously considered.

According to Chris Columbus, the director of the first two films, the actor they wanted actually turned down the part.

"It was obviously a crushing blow when Richard Harris passed away. I remember an interesting thing because [Prisoner of Azkaban director] Alfonso [Cuaron] and I met with Peter O'Toole about playing Dumbledore," Chris told The Wrap.

He continued, "He was close except Richard was his best friend and he felt it was intrusive from an acting point of view, so he decided not to do it."

Once Peter passed on the role, the directors turned to Michael, who portrayed Dumbledore until the series wrapped in 2011.