Gary Oldman Says He “Would Have Fancied” Playing Dumbledore in HBO’s HARRY POTTER Series

In a recent interview with Variety, legendary actor Gary Oldman opened up about HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series and threw out a little wizarding-world wish of his own.

Though Oldman famously played Sirius Black in the original film saga, he once again shared that there's another iconic Hogwarts figure he wouldn’t have minded stepping into.

“I would have fancied a shot at Dumbledore. But I'm getting up there, I'm getting up there now. Just the right age for Dumbledore.”

This isn’t the first time he’s said this. Oldman’s take would’ve definitely brought a different energy to the Headmaster’s robes. But, that ship’s already sailed as the series has officially cast John Lithgow as Dumbledore. Still, Oldman seemed more amused than disappointed, noting he doesn’t expect the showrunners to bring back any familiar faces from the films.

That said, he is looking forward to what the series might do with all the material the films had to leave out. The actor acknowledged the many subplots from the books that never made it to the screen and seems genuinely excited to see how the series turns out.

And while Oldman won't be returning, HBO's new take on the wizarding world isn’t short on great talent. The cast also includes Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and British comedy legend Paul Whitehouse as Filch.

Dominic McLaughlin will plays Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

HBO has described the series as a “decade-long” project, with each season adapting one book from J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series. “We are excited to explore every corner of the wizarding world, each season offering new and existing audiences a chance to experience these beloved stories in a deeper way.”