Harry Potter and the Top 5 Best Cast Characters

Having recently finished watching the entire 8 film series on blu-ray I forgot how much I like the Harry Potter films. Now and again they may not be as good as the books, and sometimes they do feel like a novel on screen instead of a film, but overall I think they are great. I am surprised how much I have enjoyed them, even Half-Blood Prince (which I remember hating at the cinema) makes much more sense after watching them close together. So it got me thinking. We all have our favourite characters, but were the best actors hired for the right roles? Here's my Top 5 best cast characters and some honorable mentions. Massive spoilers ahead!

5. Gary Oldman- Sirius Black

Sirius is a fan favourite and I can't think of anybody better than Gary Oldman to play him. Prisoner of Azkaban is his best film as he gets to play the baddie we know Oldman usually plays. I think that's why he works so well, you would assume Oldman to be the villain so when it turns out Sirius is actually Harry's Godfather, it's a great twist (if you haven't read the book of course). It always helps when you've got an actor as good as Oldman too.

Best Film? Prisoner of Azkaban.




4. Brendan Gleeson - Mad Eye Moody

I love Brendan Gleeson, he is perfect as Mad Eye. In Goblet of Fire it seems far too obvious that Mad Eye isn't a good guy so I love the revelation that it's actually Barty Crouch Jr with the good old polyjuice potion as it means we get to see more Mad Eye later in the series. I always thought his death could have been dealt with better; an off screen death mentioned in one sentence? He deserved more.

Best Film? Goblet of Fire (even though it's not really him for most of it.)






3. Kenneth Branagh - Professor Gilderoy Lockhart

To be honest, I wasn't convinced by this casting choice; I always had in my mind it should be Hugh Grant. But Branagh has a nice balance of charm and stupidity that makes Lockhart work. For some reason he was always one of the characters I remember most vividly, it's a shame we never saw him again. But Branagh made him come alive, and he is the best thing about the Chamber of Secrets.

Best Film? Chamber of Secrets (of course he wasn't in any other.)








2. Imelda Staunton - Dolores Umbridge

Sweet and sinister in equal measure, Imelda Staunton is obviously having a ball playing Hogwarts new headmaster (for a short time) Dolores Umbridge. For me, she is exactly how I pictured Dolores. Someone who would serve you cake at a tea party but probably would have poisoned it. She looks harmless enough but underneath she is one of the most dangerous enemies Harry has had to confront. Imelda Staunton really brings her to life and makes her her own. She is pretty evil too; when she tattoo's Harry's hand, she goes to show she is not to be messed with. Perfect casting, and truly memorable.

Best Film? Order of the Phoenix.







1. Alan Rickman - Professor Severus Snape

Alan Rickman IS Snape, literally no one else could have played him. I loved Deathly Hallows Part 2 when all is revealed that Snape was in love with Lily, Harry's mother. To be fair, it seemed Snape cared more for Harry than Dumbledore did. I think it's his voice and the fact that you just wouldn't mess with Alan Rickman. He just embodies Snape and is consistently the best thing about the series. It's a shame he gets sidelined for the middle of the franchise but with so much going on, something had to give. If (or more likely when) they reboot Harry Potter I don't envy the actor who has to step into Rickman's shoes.

Best Film? Spilt between The Philosopher's Stone and Deathly Hallows Part 2.







Honorable mentions go to Julie Walters who is just lovely as Mrs Weasley, Richard Harris as the perfect Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as a great Professor McGonagall and Helena Bonham Carter as the crazy Bellatrix Lestrange.