The Harry Potter films were ambitious in many ways. Not only did they adapt an immensely popular book series with a heaping helping of world-building in each entry, but they wrangled a veritable "Who's Who" of British talents. What's more, they stuck these esteemed stars in supporting roles while an unknown group of child actors carried the brunt of the story.
Because of this, audiences may have forgotten some of the big names that the franchise has featured. After all, certain actors were only around for one or two entries. Alternatively, some became better-known after their Hogwarts term ended. Whatever the reason, it's curious to look back on all the faces lost in the massive shuffle of the Harry Potter world.
8 John Cleese
This mustachioed maniac is one of the greatest British comedians. He's cracked people up for decades with Fawlty Towers, the Shrek films, the Monty Python projects, and a host of other classics. Among these was a small role in the first two Harry Potter films. Cleese appeared as Nearly Headless Nick, one of the Hogwarts ghosts who frequently interacted with students and staff. Casting the comic in this part seemed like a recipe for gold.
In hindsight, though, Cleese's contribution comes off as a waste. He only has a single scene in the first movie to introduce his gimmick. The rest of the time, the script relegates him to throwaway lines in the background. The character has a few more moments in the books, but these unfortunately never made it to the big screen.
7 David Tennant
Tennant is no stranger to genre projects. He's made an indelible mark on sci-fi and fantasy pop culture with successes like Doctor Who, Jessica Jones, and the Ducktales remake. Harry Potter is yet another in his long list. In the Goblet of Fire film, he sinks his teeth (and flicking tongue) into Barty Crouch, Jr., a secret Voldemort supporter whose own father sentenced him to prison. He then poses as Mad-Eye Moody, manipulating the Triwizard Tournament to orchestrate his master's return.
Tennant's talent for manic intensity is on full display for this lunatic. Sure, he goes over the top, but it's appropriate and fun to watch. Sadly, the heroes send Crouch back to prison at the story's end. The book mentions that he was subjected to the soul-sucking Dementor's Kiss, taking him permanently out of commission. Thus, the role of "Wild-Eyed Voldemort Fan" was filled by Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange.
6 Zoe Wanamaker
Tackling character roles across the British entertainment landscape, Wanamaker is equally at home with comedy and drama. She's proven that with TV projects like Prime Suspect, My Family, and Britannia, but she's earned particular acclaim for theater work like Once in a Lifetime. This imbued her with skills suited to playing a teacher.
She briefly appeared as Madam Hooch in the series first entry, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Wanamaker has the articulation and projection needed for an instructor, while showing the vim and vigor one would expect from a gym teacher. These qualities are somewhat wasted, though, as her only scene is the first flying lesson. She shows up here and there, but these are mostly background nods. Worse, the later movies had no narrative use for her, so Wanamaker's presence remains a bit part in the series' debut.
5 Rik Mayall
The first Potter flick tried a trend of British comics playing ghosts. Not only had it locked down John Cleese as Nick, but it also roped Rik Mayall into playing Peeves. This silly specter is a nuisance around Hogwarts, playing pranks on everyone in sight and reveling in his clownish behavior. In short, it was perfect casting.
Mayall had long specialized in wacky humor with The Young Ones, Blackadder, and his work with The Comic Strip. His penchant for alternative comedy and shock value fit Peeves like a glove. Unfortunately, fans never saw him in action, as his scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.
4 Kelly Macdonald
This Scottish performer has earned acclaim as a supporting actress, racking up a commendable career on both the big and small screen. No Country for Old Men, Boardwalk Empire, Line of Duty, Brave, and Operation Mincemeat are just a few of her successes. In the midst of all these, she also snuck into Harry Potter at the eleventh hour.
Namely, she had a cameo as Helena Ravenclaw in the second Deathly Hallows movie. It's a small but pivotal part: she reveals the location of her mother's diadem, which Voldemort used as a Horcrux. Macdonald's nuance conveys surprising pathos for such a small amount of screen time. If anything, she makes viewers wish she served as more than just the piece of a puzzle.
3 Anna Shaffer
Shaffer spent years as steadily working actress. She mixed her time on the soap opera Hollyoaks with various theater and TV work, always active yet never breaking into the mainstream. That all changed with her recent role in The Witcher. She plays Triss Merigold, an altruistic sorceress who aids the titular monster slayer in any way she can. Sadly, he doesn't return her romantic feelings. By coincidence, however, a witch's one-sided affection also informs Shaffer's Harry Potter character.
She shows up in the Half-Blood Prince flick, where teenage hormones are in full swing. Specifically, she plays Romilda Vane, a girl trying to slip Harry a love potion. That sounds exciting, but she only exists in the background. In fact, she never even gets a line. The irony is that Ron spends more time talking about her when he accidentally ingests the potion.
2 Julian Glover
Glover is a prolific character actor of the British stage and screen. Genre fans likely know him as the leading villain in For Your Eyes Only and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but he's also occupied supporting roles in Star Wars, Troy, Game of Thrones, and countless other works. His part in Harry Potter falls into the latter category.
The actor voices Aragog the spider in the Chamber of Secrets movie. Hagrid raises this arachnid from infancy. When Voldemort frames the friendly giant, Aragog has to flee into the Forbidden Forest. He then grows vengeful and monstrous in his gargantuan size, and Glover gives him a voice to match, almost unrecognizable in his raspy menace. The downside is that this is the last fans hear of him. The character pops up again in the Half-Blood Prince film. Considering he had passed away at that point, however, Glover obviously didn't reprise his role.
1 Clemence Poesy
With the foreign schools in Goblet of Fire, it made sense to cast foreign actors. Thus, this French actress appears as Fleur Delacour, a student at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Unfortunately, her film iteration is mainly just a pretty face and fellow competitor in the Triwizard Tournament. As such, Poesy doesn't have much dialogue and gets by on facial performance. She goes on to have a couple of cameos in the Deathly Hallows films, but these don't amount to anything.
Her roles in other films tend to be similarly minor. In Bruges, Tenet, and 127 Hours exemplify that. By contrast, Poesy is a much stronger presence on television with works like Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, The Tunnel, and War and Peace. Here, her subtle performances match the layered characters on the page.