Ridiculous Reason Robin Williams Was Refused a Harry Potter Role
As a huge Harry Potter fan, Robin Williams was eager to join the franchise. But his nationality worked against him.
One of the many things fans love about the Harry Potter franchise is its many complex and exciting characters, brilliantly played by some of the biggest stars. The casting for the films has been so perfect that many roles seem to have been written with specific actors in mind. In addition to all being brilliant actors, there is one more thing the main cast members have in common. They are all British.
This rule was so strict that even big-name American actors were not allowed to audition. This is exactly what happened to Robin Williams, who was a huge fan of the Harry Potter book series and wanted to be part of the film adaptation but was not British.
"There were a couple of parts I would have wanted to play, but there was a ban on American actors," Williams once told New York Post (via The Guardian).
Initially, the actor wanted to play Rubeus Hagrid. In fact, he was in contact with Chris Columbus directly about the possibility. But, according to casting director Janet Hirshenson, the director was adamant.
"Once he said no to Robin, he wasn't going to say yes to anybody else, that's for sure," she told Huffington Post.
So the role went to Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who did an amazing job as the fantastic-creatures-loving gamekeeper. In fact, even if Williams had been allowed to audition, he probably would not have gotten the part. J.K. Rowling always had Coltrane at the top of her list to play Hagrid. And when she was asked for her opinion during the casting process, she didn't miss a beat in saying, "Robbie Coltrane for Hagrid."
It was certainly hard to top. And Rowling's choice didn't disappoint. Fans agree that while Robin Williams would have undoubtedly done a great job, he had a tendency to steal the show, which was not what Harry Potter needed. Coltrane, on the other hand, was such a good Hagrid that he will always have a special place in the hearts of all Wizarding World fans, who deeply mourned his passing last year.
However, fans believe there is another Harry Potter role that Williams would have made his with ease:
Robin Williams would have been absolutely perfect as Peeves.
Right? Right!?