Would you have liked to see him in the films?
Robin Williams was an incredibly versatile actor. From Mr. Doubtfire to the genie he could play virtually any role.
However it seems that the makers of Harry Potter didn’t feel he’d be quite the right fit for the films.
This is because of a very strict rule of British-only lead roles. It was important to the team behind the franchise that the main characters would all be British and be played by British actors.
So despite the actor ringing up and showing interest in the part of Hagrid, even his versatile acting wasn’t enough for them to break the rule.
”Robin had called [director Chris Columbus] because he really wanted to be in the movie, but it was a British-only edict, and once he said no to Robin, he wasn’t going to say yes to anybody else, that’s for sure,” casting director Janet Hirshenson told the Huffington Post.
While we adore Robin Williams and will always be thankful for his brilliant characters, we are happy the role went to Robbie Coltrane (who was apparently always favourite for the role) and couldn’t imagine it being played by anyone else.
