It's all over the news. Dame Maggie Smith, best known for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, has passed away peacefully at the age of 89. According to MSN.com writer Sinead Butler, Greg Evans and Jake Brigstock, here are 27 actors and actresses from the Harry Potter films who have passed away
Even when I watch these films now, I get sad seeing all of the people who have passed. It's saddening and heartbreaking. Of course, my mother thinks I'm every bit as crazy as I look, doing the sign of the cross every time someone who I know has passed away comes up. But I do that out of respect. It's sad to know these actors and actresses are gone, no matter how big or small a role they played in the Harry Potter films
By the way, some of the dates of birth and death are listed as incorrect on this site. I have looked up the dates of birth and death and ensured they are entered correctly here.
1. Dame Maggie Smith (12/28/1934-9/27/2024)
-Professor Minerva McGonagall
-She taught Transfiguration, was the head of Gryffindor House and she was the first female role and only the second character to be introduced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone (In Europe, it was titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
2. Michael Gambon (10/19/1940-9/27/2023)
-Professor Albus Dumbledore
-He took the role of the head of Hogwarts from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban to the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. He took over the role from Richard Harris. Sometimes, when you hear Gambon's version of Dumbledore speak, you can hear his Irish accent
3. Richard Harris (10/1/1930-10/25/2002)
-Character: Professor Albus Dumbledore
-Richard Harris played the iconic Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He appeared in the first two films of the highly successful Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. When he passed, Michael Gambon took on the iconic role
4. Robert Knox (8/21/1989-5/24/2008)
-Character: Marcus Belby
-He starred in the sixth film of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He was stabbed to death outside a bar in London while trying to protect his brother from a fight. He was only 18 years old
5. Elizabeth Spriggs (9/18/1929-7/2/2008)
-Character: The Fat Lady
-Acting as the guardian to Gryffindor House, she appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (In the US, it was titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). After her passing, comedian Dawn French took over the role, starting off in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
6. Timothy Bateson (4/3/1926-9/15/2009)
-Character: Kreacher
-Appearing in the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Timothy Bateson played the house elf Kreacher, who lived in the house that once belonged to Sirius Black. His voice was used as the voice for Kreacher
7. Jimmy Gardner (8/24/1924-5/3/2010)
-Character: Ernie Prang
-This actor was also a veteran of the military. He served in the Royal Air Force during WWII and chose to pursue acting in the 1960s. He came to the knowledge of the younger crowds when he appeared in the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where he played Ernie Prang, the driver of the violently purple Knight Bus
8. Alfred Burke (2/28/1918-2/16/2011)
-Character: Armando Dippet
-In the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry opens a magical diary that transports him back into Hogwarts 50 years before his time. That was when a wizard named Armando Dippet was headmaster. Alfred Burke was also known for the role of Frank Marker in the television program Public Eye
9. Eric Sykes (5/4/1923-7/4/2012)
-Character: Frank Bryce
-Eric Sykes appeared in the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He played a Muggle (non-magical person) named Frank Bryce, who acted as caretaker for the Riddle family home. He was the prime suspect when it was discovered the Riddle family was murdered, but he was innocent. In the fourth film, he discovers Lord Voldemort plotting something dangerous and, as a result, is killed
10. Richard Griffiths (7/31/1947-3/28/2013)
-Character: Vernon Dursley
-This veteran British actor has held a wide array of roles over the years, including Chariots of Fire, Sleepy Hollow, The History Boys and, most notably, the Harry Potter series. He played Harry's uncle Vernon Dursley. He certainly made the role of Harry's uncle iconic, showing a disdain for his nephew and all things related to magic
11. Peter Cartwright (8/30/1935-11/18/2013)
-Character: Elphias Doge
-He first appeared in the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, playing Elphias Doge. When he died in 2013, the role was taken over by actor David Ryall
12. Roger Lloyd Pack (2/8/1944-1/15/2014)
-Character: Barty Crouch Senior
-Anyone who has watched the program Only Fools and Horses will recognize this man as the character Trigger. But anyone who has seen Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will recognize this man as Barty Crouch Senior, one of the organizers for the Triwizard Tournament and also a Ministry of Magic official.
13. Dave Legeno (10/12/1963-7/6/2014)
-Character: Fenrir Greyback
-In the books, Fenrir Greyback was a dangerous werewolf and supporter of Lord Voldemort, known as a Death Eater. He had a preference for attacking children. In real life, he acted in other films and practiced mixed martial arts. In 2014, hikers going through Death Valley, California had found him, deceased from heatstroke
14. Derek Deadman (3/11/1940-11/22/2014)
-Character: Tom, bar keep for The Leaky Cauldron
-This veteran British actor had appeared in various films and on various British television programs for 38 years. He came to the fame with the younger crowd as Tom, the barkeep for The Leaky Cauldron in the first film of the highly successful Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US. It was Philosopher's Stone in many parts of Europe and other parts of the world)
15. David Ryall (1/5/1935-12/25/2014)
-Character: Elphias Doge
-First and foremost, how sad would it be for someone to pass away on Christmas Day? That had to be hard for his family
-He replaced Peter Cartwright as the role of Elphias Doge. He appeared in part one of the final and seventh film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. I (2010). He passed away four years later on Christmas Day
16. Alan Rickman (2/21/1946-1/14/2016)
-Character: Professor Severus Snape
-Alan Rickman is perhaps best known for playing Head of Slytherin House and Potions professor Severus Snape, despite appearing in other films. His character was a sort of anti-hero, who was sarcastic with a seemingly cold-hearted attitude. As the films progressed, there would be additional layers revealed about him, causing him to be much loved by the fans. It was heartbreaking news in January 2016 when it was revealed that Rickman had been suffering from terminal cancer. Fans were sad to hear that he had chosen to keep his battle with cancer private and in January 2016, had lost his battle with cancer
17. Terence Bayler (1/24/1930-8/2/2016)
-Character: The Bloody Baron (Slytherin House ghost)
-Phillip Strenger, better known as The Bloody Baron, was the house ghost for Slytherin House. In the books, he was the only one who could control the school poltergeist, Peeves. The actor who plays this ghost, Terence Bayler, who was originally from New Zealand, had passed away in 2016
18. Hazel Douglas (11/2/1923-9/8/2016)
-Character: Bathilda Bagshot
-This character was the author of A History of Magic in addition to other books. She was a witch and a historian. Her only screen time within the Harry Potter universe was in 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. I. Hazel Douglas passed away at the age of 93
19. John Hurt (1/22/1940-1/25/2017)
-Character: Garrick Ollivander
-This name is legendary in the world of acting. John Hurt had been acting for five successful decades and had appeared in many films, including The Elephant Man. He came to prominence with the younger crowds by playing Garrick Ollivander, the world famous wand maker in three of the Harry Potter films
20. Sam Beazley (3/29/1916-6/12/2017)
-Character: Professor Everard
-This was a short lived character. He appeared in a painting in the fifth film of the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The actor, who also worked as an antique dealer, had passed away at the age of 101
21. Robert Hardy (10/29/1925-8/3/2017)
-Character: Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge
-Long before he became known as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, Robert Hardy had a long and highly successful career in both screen and stage. He passed away in 2017 at 91 years of age
22. Verne Troyer (1/1/1969-4/21/2018)
-Character: Griphook
-Verne Troyer came to the knowledge of people as Mini-Me in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He was also in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in many other parts of the world). When he died in 2018 at the age of only 49, Warwick Davis took over the role of goblin Griphook
23. Paul Ritter (12/20/1966-4/5/2021)
-Character: Eldred Worple
-This actor appeared in Friday Night Dinner, a popular sitcom in England. He rose to fame within the Harry Potter universe as Eldred Worple, a wizard and writer in the sixth film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He passed away in 2021 from a brain tumor
24. Helen McCrory (8/17/1968-4/16/2021)
-Character: Narcissa Malfoy
-Best known for playing Polly Gray on the television program Peaky Blinders, she also became known for playing the mother of Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. She passed away at the age of 52, after a private battle with breast cancer
25. Robbie Coltrane (3/30/1950-10/14/2022)
-Character: Rubeus Hagrid
-Fans of Harry Potter were devastated when they heard the sad news of the passing of Robbie Coltrane. He played the much-beloved groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid. He sadly passed away on October 14, 2022. He even provided the film series' most iconic line, "Yer a wizard, Harry."
26. Leslie Phillips (4/20/1924-11/7/2022)
-Character: The Sorting Hat
-This actor provided the voice of The Sorting Hat, the item which would place Hogwarts students into their houses. He was only 98 when he passed away. He left behind a long, highly successful acting career
27. Paul Grant (2/31967-3/20/2023)
-Character: Goblin (uncredited)
-While he did appear as a goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), he also appeared in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi as one of the small Ewoks. He also starred alongside rock musician David Bowie in the film Labyrinth and with Tom Cruise in Legend. He collapsed outside Kings Cross Station in London, and was labeled as being in critical condition according to the police that found him. He later passed away
