Many of the characters from the Harry Potter franchise are now associated with the actors who played them, but as we’ll see, many of them were almost played by someone else. J.K Rowling, the film’s creator, had complete creative control over the project and was quite picky about which performers were considered for roles. It was her preference that only British actors be cast, which was unfortunate because it meant that numerous talented American actors were turned down. One of them was Robin Williams.
Cedric Diggory was a dream role for Henry Cavill.
In the early 2000s, Henry Cavill, better known as Superman, was passed over for two major parts, both of which went to Robert Pattinson. Cavill tried out for the parts of Edward in Twilight and Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but was turned down for both roles.
J. K. Rowling Was Nearly Cast as Lily Potter
J.K. Rowling was approached about playing Lily Potter, but she declined, claiming that she wasn’t cut out to be an actress. While having the creator of Harry Potter appearing in the movie would have been fantastic, it might have been too much of a distraction.
Kate Winslet Didn’t Get Her Harry Potter Dream Fulfilled
Kate Winslet was thought to be one of the top contenders for the role of Helena Ravenclaw, called the Grey Lady, but she was never allowed to audition because her agent turned it down on her behalf. It wasn’t a major part, so the agency probably passed it up without even consulting her.
