The franchise has long been known for its impressive cast, including stars like Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, and Michael Gambon in the original films. Now, with several new projects in development for the Wizarding World, Hugh Laurie – famous for his role in House M.D. – is joining the cast.
The actor best known for House is among the recognizable voices bringing the characters of Audible’s Harry Potter: Full Cast Audio Edition to life. He takes on the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore, following in the footsteps of Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law, who have all previously portrayed the character. In a recent interview, the actor discussed joining the Harry Potter world and his unique interpretation of Dumbledore.
During their talk, Laurie confessed he hadn’t read the Harry Potter books before performing as Dumbledore. He explained that his friend and children’s godfather, Stephen Fry, narrated the U.K. audiobooks. His three kids listened to Fry read the books on many long car trips to Scotland, and Laurie felt he’d become very familiar with the story just by listening along.
Laurie confessed he did read the manuscripts while preparing for the new audiobooks, and he found the experience delightful. He said it was wonderful to return to that world, finding it both moving and humorous, with a sense of epic storytelling. He also expressed how honored he was to be involved.
As a huge fan, I was really interested to hear what the new Dumbledore actor thought about taking on the role. He talked about all the amazing actors who’d played Dumbledore before him – both on screen and those who did the audiobooks, like Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. He said it felt like joining a real family, and what struck him most was the need to approach the character with humility.
It’s a real honor to play a character that so many talented actors have brought to life before me. My immediate reaction to being cast was wanting to do the role justice and not disappoint those who’d played it previously. That’s how I feel with every acting job I take – I just want to do a good job and avoid embarrassment. As someone recently put it, ‘My goal is to avoid shame,’ and that pretty much captures my approach perfectly.
Laurie explained that when playing Dumbledore, he unintentionally started sounding like Stephen Fry, because Fry’s portrayal had such a distinctive and accurate delivery. He made a conscious effort not to simply be different, and admitted he was influenced by previous interpretations, particularly Fry’s, which he’d heard frequently.
He explained that each actor who played Dumbledore brought a sense of warmth and intelligence to the part, and he felt it was important to honor that. He didn’t want to offer a radical or jarring interpretation, as he didn’t believe audiences would appreciate that.
The Wizarding World Has a New Dumbledore
Starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.) on November 4th, the audiobooks will continue with the remaining six books in the series. In addition to the audiobooks, HBO is developing a Harry Potter television series, expected to launch on HBO Max in 2027.
The upcoming project features a completely new cast, with the exception of Warwick Davis. John Lithgow will be taking on the role of Dumbledore this time. Photos from the set were released a few weeks ago and were very well-received by fans.
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2025-11-05 17:06