Irish actor, singer, film director and writer (1930–2002)
Factsheet
Born Richard St John Francis Harris
(1930-10-01)1 October 1930
Limerick, Ireland
(1930-10-01)1 October 1930
Limerick, Ireland
Died 25 October 2002(2002-10-25) (aged 72)
Bloomsbury, London, England
Bloomsbury, London, England
Resting place Ashes scattered in the Bahamas
Born Richard St John Francis Harris
(1930-10-01)1 October 1930
Limerick, Ireland
(1930-10-01)1 October 1930
Limerick, Ireland
Died 25 October 2002(2002-10-25) (aged 72)
Bloomsbury, London, England
Bloomsbury, London, England
Resting place Ashes scattered in the Bahamas
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Richard_Harris
Richard Harris - Wikipedia
1 week ago - Other notable roles include in ... cross-generational acclaim for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), the latter of which was his final film ...
Facebook
facebook.com › harrypotter › videos › why-richard-harris-played-dumbledore- › 303813205864972
Why Richard Harris played Dumbledore 🪄 | Richard Harris's...
Richard Harris's granddaughter was the most persuasive witch of her age 💖 #BTS
i hate how mean dumbledore became after richard harris passed
Plus his outfit changed quite horribly imo. Richard Harris wore magnificent, grand, luxurious wizard robes, the kind I always imagined from the book descriptions. Michael Gambon wore what often looked like a bathrobe/pajama. More on reddit.com
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October 4, 2024TIL Dumbledore, Richard Harris, sings one of my favourite songs, "MacArthur Park."
Link to YouTube for the lazy . That's... unsettling. He's quite good, actually. But I can't help but imagine Dumbledore, sitting alone in his office, thinking about Grindelwald, and suddenly breaking into song: "After all the loves of my life / You'll still be the one...!" 50 points to Hufflepuff! That is truly the weirdest, coolest Harry Potter find to date! More on reddit.com
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May 31, 2011Richard Harris was the perfect Dumbledore and it’s so unfortunate he passed away with just two films under his belt.
I support this also. Richard Harris was something special and his Dumbledore was very special. More on reddit.com
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June 19, 2022I wish Richard Harris had played Dumbledore in all the movies.
Yeah, if not for that whole “dying” issue. More on reddit.com
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October 23, 2022Videos
01:22
Richard Harris preparing to play Dumbledore - YouTube
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Why Richard Harris played Dumbledore #BehindTheScenes #HarryPotter ...
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Why I Preferred Richard Harris over Michael Gambon as Dumbledore ...
r/harrypotter on Reddit: Richard Harris preparing as Dumbledore.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/harrypotter › the loss of richard harris’s dumbledore is frustrating in retrospective (i don’t like michael gambon’s portrayal)
r/harrypotter on Reddit: The Loss of Richard Harris’s Dumbledore is Frustrating in Retrospective (I don’t like Michael Gambon’s Portrayal)
October 31, 2024 -
After reading the books, I have been watching the films for the first time ever (Just finished Goblet of Fire for those wondering). I was aware the Richard Harris died after the Chamber of Secrets was filmed, but wasn’t aware of how truly spectacular and accurate his Dumbledore portrayal truly was. I think Micheal Gambian is a good actor, but he just does not capture Dumbledore like Harris did. The softness and calmness of how he handled his character is just perfect when compared to the books, and I truly wish (I know it wasn’t his fault, but I’m just made at this shear reality) that we got all of Richard Harris’s Dumbledore.
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I think Gambon being more over the top is a result of bad direction. His worst performance by far is in GoF and if you look at all of the performances in that movie, they’re all kind of weird and over the top. Look back at PoA and you’ll see that Gambon has a very whimsical performance similar to Harris.
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I think the switch was actually beneficial. The whimsical way he was portrayed by Harris goes along with the mystical way young Harry views Dumbledore. As Harry ages, and sees Dumbledore as an actual person, the Gambon portrayal is more suitable, giving him more emotion and character.
IMDb
imdb.com › name › nm0001321
Richard Harris | Actor, Producer, Director
April 11, 2008 - Further fortune came his way with a strong performance in the blockbuster Gladiator (2000) and he became known to an entirely new generation of film fans as Albus Dumbledore in the mega-successful Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) ...
Fandom
harrypotter.fandom.com › wiki › Richard_Harris
Richard Harris | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom
3 weeks ago - Sir Richard St John Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer, who portrayed Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the first two film adaptations of the Harry Potter books.
YouTube
youtube.com › playlist
Harry Potter Albus Dumbledore: Richard Harris vs Michael Gambon - YouTube
This Playlist is a Two Way Battle Between The Two Actors Who Portrayed Albus Percival Wufric Brian Dumbledore Throughout The Harry Potter Film Series. The La...
Facebook
facebook.com › kwchnews › posts › who-was-the-better-dumbledore-michael-gambon-or-richard-harris › 1286262726877890
Who was the better Dumbledore, Michael Gambon or ...
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Business Insider
businessinsider.com › business insider › entertainment › michael gambon replaced richard harris as dumbledore in 'harry potter.' here's who else was up for the role, and how gambon made it his own.
Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter.' Here's who else was up for the role, and how Gambon made it his own.
September 28, 2023 - The late Richard Harris was first cast in the role and starred as Dumbledore in the first two movies, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
IMDb
imdb.com › title › tt0241527 › characters › nm0001321
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) - Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore - IMDb
Dumbledore: It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.
Threads
threads.com › @daily_factfinder › post › DIhVE-GIpDL › richard-harris-portrayed-albus-dumbledore-in-the-first-two-harry-potter-films-bu
Richard Harris portrayed Albus Dumbledore in the first two “Harry Potter” films but passed away before the third. Four months later, Michael Gambon was cast as his replacement and played Dumbledore in the next six movies.
April 16, 2025 - Richard Harris portrayed Albus Dumbledore in the first two “Harry Potter” films but passed away before the third. Four months later, Michael Gambon was cast as his replacement and played Dumbledore in the next six movies.
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › entertainment & pop culture › actors
Richard Harris | Biography, Roles, Movies, MacArthur Park, & Facts | Britannica
October 21, 2025 - Richard Harris played the role of the wizard Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001; also released as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).
X
x.com › HPotterUniverse › status › 1982172302243512558
On this day 23 years ago, Richard Harris, who played ...
On this day 23 years ago, Richard Harris, who played Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, sadly passed away.
Quora
quora.com › What-do-you-think-the-Harry-Potter-movies-would-have-been-like-if-Richard-Harris-had-lived-long-enough-to-be-Dumbledore-in-all-the-films
What do you think the Harry Potter movies would have been like if Richard Harris had lived long enough to be Dumbledore in all the films? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): Brilliant. Of course. Richard Harris was a great actor, and he captured much of Dumbledore's personality, especially in Philosopher's Stone when he was a bit more healthy.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/harrypotter › i hate how mean dumbledore became after richard harris passed
r/harrypotter on Reddit: i hate how mean dumbledore became after richard harris passed
October 4, 2024 -
In the books, dumbledore is always so calm and not that serious or rude( kinda looney), like he was in the first 2 movies, but after he became so rude.
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Plus his outfit changed quite horribly imo. Richard Harris wore magnificent, grand, luxurious wizard robes, the kind I always imagined from the book descriptions. Michael Gambon wore what often looked like a bathrobe/pajama.
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Honestly I don’t think Michael Gambon was a bad choice. He was pretty good in PoA and was great the David Yates movies. The only time he really acted out of character was in Goblet of Fire. That one scene alone (you know the one) was enough to hurt how we perceived his performance for the rest of the movie series. At least this is all just my opinion.
/Film
slashfilm.com › 1363532 › harry-potter-richard-harris-dumbledore-casting-threat
The (Adorable) Threat That Finally Pushed Harry Potter's Richard Harris To Play Dumbledore - SlashFilm
August 26, 2023 - Both the 2001 film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and the 2002 sequel "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" starred the legendary Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore, the elderly wizard principal of a secret boarding school ...
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Albus_Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore - Wikipedia
6 hours ago - Dumbledore is portrayed by Richard Harris in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). Following Harris' death in October 2002, Michael Gambon was cast in the role.
People
people.com › movies › harry-potter-actors-who-died
Remembering 'Harry Potter' Actors We've Lost Over the Years
March 10, 2025 - J. Vespa/WireImage; Everett · Harris originated the role of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, in the first two films, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets.
Biography
biography.com › famous actors › famous british people › “if you replace me, i’ll f––ing kill you.” how michael gambon became harry potter’s dumbledore
How Michael Gambon Got Cast as Albus Dumbledore in ‘Harry Potter’
September 28, 2023 - It was Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films in the massively popular Harry Potter movie franchise. Harris portrayed the all-knowing wizard Albus Dumbledore in both movies, and he made it clear to Columbus he intended to return for ...
Collider
collider.com › home › movie features › harry potter: the three actors that played dumbledore, ranked
Harry Potter: The Three Actors That Played Dumbledore, Ranked
May 18, 2024 - Michael Gambon masterfully embodied ... emotional depth over five films. Richard Harris brought warmth and charm to the role, establishing Dumbledore as a mentor figure with poignant moments....
ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie lists › harry potter: why michael gambon is the best dumbledore (& why richard harris or jude law is)
Harry Potter: Why Michael Gambon Is The Best Dumbledore (& Why Richard Harris Or Jude Law Is)
November 8, 2023 - Richard Harris debuted as the Hogwarts headmaster, playing the character in the first two films of the franchise. After his tragic passing, Michael Gambon took on the role and is most synonymous with it due to appearing in six movies.