Harry Potter: The surprising character Rowan Atkinson 'almost played'

Publish date: 2024-06-03

As bizarre as it sounds, one of the front runners to play Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films was Rowan Atkinson.

The Mr Bean actor was touted as one of the favourites to play the 'Dark Lord' before Ralph Fiennes was cast.

Fiennes turned out to be the perfect choice to play 'He who must not be named', but things could have been very different if Atkinson did get the job.

READ MORE:The American actor 'supposed' to play Harry Potter instead of Daniel Radcliffe

Until the Goblet of Fire, Lord Voldemort was simply a looming presence in the films and hadn't actually shown up in flesh and blood.

So in 2004, years after the other lead characters had been cast, producers had a big decision to make on who should play the villain.

At first they looked at John Malkovich, but a 'British-only' rule set by author J.K. Rowling effectively ruled him out.

According to newspaper reports of the time, Atkinson was seen as another contender.

The Guardian initially reported the comedian was looking to "broaden his range and jumped at the chance to play Potter's shadowy nemesis."

The links also came from several other respected sources, including film newspaper Variety which said the Johnny English star was lined up to take the rule.

Bake On Bake Off newsletter

If you're obsessed with The Great British Bake Off and all things baking, you're in luck as we are too!

Our Bake On Bake Off newsletter is jam-packed with gossip and reaction from the famous TV show.

Plus, it's stuffed with super quick and easy recipes, anyone can try at home.

You don't need any fancy ingredients or equipment, plus some bakes can be cooked in a microwave in under a minute.

Many of the recipes are healthy, vegan friendly and gluten free.

It's free and you'll receive an email straight to your inbox twice a week.

It takes seconds to sign up - simply press here, enter your email address and follow the instructions.

Changed your mind? There's an 'unsubscribe' button at the bottom of every newsletter we send out.

However, after rumours spread online his representatives stepped forwarded to rule it out.

Janette Linden, his agent, said: "There's no truth whatsoever that Rowan will be in the next Harry Potter movie."

Fiennes, who was eventually cast, excelled in the role bringing a terrifying but human presence to the character.

But it's still entertaining to imagine how Mr Bean would fit the role.

Want more showbiz news? Sign up to MyLondon's FREE newsletters here .

Read More
Read More

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rsXLqKWdp55ju6bD0miuoZmkqHqwuo6foKWlXaOyuL%2BOoZirqqlivbDA056pZqulp72ztdKipaBlk52us63CrZyrZaKkxKK6jGtpanBpbYV1