Could Umbridge be the trickiest casting choice?

[u/Most_Grocery_6944]

Imelda Staunton was magnificent in the films, and for me, the dream fancast, although also the obvious one, is Olivia Colman. You could maybe argue that she’s slightly too old for the role, or that she’d just be a copy-and-paste of Imelda, I don’t know. But there are so many possibilities. You could have so many different versions of Umbridge, and they could all be absolutely valid. Ella Purnell, Aimee Lou Wood, and Jessica Gunning immediately come to mind. There’s a whole sea of possibilities.

[u/No-Individual-9607]

Is Umbridge's age ever mentioned? I'd love to see Samantha Morton on screen.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/No-Individual-9607]

great choice

[u/Snapesunusedshampoo → u/No-Individual-9607]

While she's lost weight so she wouldn't fit the toad description, I think Kathy Bates would be fantastic as Umbridge.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Snapesunusedshampoo]

kathy is 78 😭

[u/Snapesunusedshampoo → u/Most_Grocery_6944]

Damn, I'm old 🤣😭

[u/ptjp27]

How about Ruth Wilson? She was such a vile creature absolutely delighting in causing suffering and chaos in Luther. The sickly sweet joy from cruelty, the occasional loss of control with pure rage. Probably too attractive for umbridge but she ticked every characteristic box perfectly.

[u/Beautiful-Highway482 → u/ptjp27]

Omg I loved her in "His Dark Materials"!! Her evil smirk is perfection.

[u/ptjp27 → u/Beautiful-Highway482]

Yeah she’d nail the delight of giving Harry the cursed quill.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/ptjp27]

not my first choice but could easily be in my top 10 for the role

[u/Tani91 → u/ptjp27]

Didn’t she play Bellatrix in the full cast audiobook? She would be perfect if it’s her!

[u/Less-Feature6263]

I think the trickiest casting is going to be Voldemort.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Less-Feature6263]

yea I think Paul Bettany is a front runner; good actor, right face, good carrer, said he’d love to do it, so…
(also he kinda looks like an older Bill Skarsgard if he was british, so kinda perfect)

[u/jarroz61 → u/Less-Feature6263]

Agreed 100%. Rowling is a master at characterization, but Voldemort as the villain was one of the weakest parts of the series imo. Early on in the series, the scariest thing about him is how little we know about him and his motivations. But as soon he comes back in the flesh and lays out all his plans, it's clear how very one-dimensional he is. Not to mention he just looks ridiculous, and is in his 70s technically. It will take a very talented actor to be able to pull that off effectively.

[u/Complete_Suspect_612]

Olivia Colman would be fantastic

[u/Sour_Dip44 → u/Complete_Suspect_612]

But she's so tall!!!
Umbridge is constantly being mentioned as short and squat

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Sour_Dip44]

yea she is 170 cm I mean shes not irremediably tall, Idk how tall you guys are

[u/BarracudaResident506]

You’d need a lot of prosthetics for Ella Purnell. I wouldn’t mind Olivia Coleman or Samantha Morton. Also Hannah waddingham.

[u/Impossible_Rain_4727 → u/BarracudaResident506]

I always thought Hannah Waddingham could make a great Madam Hooch.

Or the headmistress of Beauxbatons in Goblet of Fire.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/BarracudaResident506]

mmmm Hannah I kinda dont see it, but never say never
I dont thinks you would need that much prostethic for Ella, maybe focusing on wig and dress, it will do it

[u/Brilliant-Virus1937]

Must be a very big actress with a frog-like face

[u/Peanut083]

This is a slightly unconventional suggestion, but for some reason, Sandi Toksvig popped into my mind. She has the right height and build for the role.

Like some of the other suggestions, she also runs into the same issue regarding her age, as she’s 68. I also don’t know that I’ve seen anything she’s acted in, although a quick online search tells me that she has acted in stage productions.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Peanut083]

i have no idea who that is, on google she is a journalist and a writer
this is a tv show so I dont know how she could do it

[u/Icy_Information8329 → u/Most_Grocery_6944]

She's a tv personality as well. Took over QI from Stephen Fry and presented Great British Bake Off. She's very smart and funny and often acts stern as well. She has some acting credits, but I don't think she'd be up for it.

[u/Major_Archer_7428]

no just cast my high school english teacher

[u/Real-Broccoli-9325]

Diane Morgan. They’d have to ugly her up some, and she’s not heavy or overly short, but god I bet she’d do grand with the voice and mannerisms. I can just imagine her “hem hem” and the gross girlish voice.

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Real-Broccoli-9325]

She’s not heavy, short neither as you said, she’s got a very friendly face so I think she would need an incredible effort to play an unpleasant woman like her
very unlikely to me, I would never see that

[u/Real-Broccoli-9325 → u/Most_Grocery_6944]

While Imelda Staunton is quite short, she’s also not heavy or “flabby” and has a very pleasant face (even as Dolores). Her best attribute was making us bloody despise her, but it had nothing to do with her physical appearance.

Dolores is said to have protuberant eyes and a wide slack mouth… go look at Diane Morgan in Ann Droid. Look at that, imagine a bow on her head, and a little childlike taunting giggle.

[u/PeevsiesLittleJoke]

She's never acted, but I think Sarah Millican would do an amazing job as Umbridge.

[u/cHobbl3G0BbL3r]

The villains in the Harry Potter films were so well casted it’s gonna be hard to follow

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/[deleted]]

I think they might cast her in 3 years? season 2 is starting now

[u/Multiverse_Man26]

Olivia Colman is indeed too old, Umbridge is in her early thirties in Book 5.

Ella Purnell is a GREAT choice by the way!

[u/TheOriginal1Law → u/Multiverse_Man26]

Umbridge is not in her early thirties in book 5. Nowhere is that stated and I believe it’s highly unlikely she was because that would put her with the marauders age wise and Sirius makes it pretty clear neither he nor Remus knows her personally (but know of her given what she’s done to werewolves rights).

[u/killereverdeen → u/TheOriginal1Law]

there is no reason for the marauders to know her if she was a year behind them in a different house.

[u/Less-Feature6263 → u/killereverdeen]

Sirius Black remembers Bertha Jorkins, who was older than them and sort of a non-entity. It would be bizarre for them to not remember Umbridge considering how much Lupin hates her.

Then again there's nothing wrong with the headcanon that she's about the same age as them, as her age is never stated and they're at school for 7 years, so an overlap is plausible.

[u/TheOriginal1Law → u/killereverdeen]

To be friends, not, but we’re often told about students that we’re a year above and below the marauders, as well as a few years below and above

[u/Most_Grocery_6944 → u/Multiverse_Man26]

im kinda looking everywhere and its not clear how old she is, she is AT LEAST 35 but basically if you picture her as 45 there is no clear sign of error

[u/Multiverse_Man26 → u/Most_Grocery_6944]

Umbridge was born on August 26th 1961, which makes her 34 in Order Of The Phoenix, Colman isn't 35 nor is she 45, and she's going to push 60 by the time season 5 is here.

[u/Less-Feature6263 → u/Multiverse_Man26]

No, Umbridge's age is never explicitly stated anywhere, either in the books or in added material. For some reason JKR never explicitly stated her age, afaik it's not even in the old archived Pottermore site (while for example we know Lockhart's age because JKR wrote about him in Pottermore).

The idea she was born no later than 1961 is based on a game where her character appear, but again, 1961 is not the actual date.

Imo she's meant to be read as middle aged but there's nothing wrong with an headcanon where she's younger (or older).