definetly Harris!!!!
he was looking just like the DD in my mind...he was wise and funny and a respet person..
Gambon is really bad in his job(im sorry) but he isnt likeable at all...he is just a strict and sometimes even a little mean DD...(I only say GoF...he nearly strangled Harry..as some have said already)
well if I was jharry i wouldnt trust or like Gambon DD at all...I would maybe even loathe him...

You know, I like Michael Gambon in the part, but I prefered Richard Harris. He had the right look for it, and he had that nicer, softer, warmer appearance that just made us all love him as Dumbledore. Michael Gambon seems a bit gruff, and sort of makes Dumbledore seem normal... Normal for Dumbledore is not a good thing. Richard Harris all the way.

-Ginevra Molly Weasley

Well I just couldn't imagine harris as dumbledore in hp5 or 6. I think that dumbledore in the last 3 movies has always been better that the original. I only hated how he shake harry in hp4, but don't blame him, blame the director. When i read harry potter, i always think of gambon. I could think of him as a funny guy just like harris.

Richard Harris. He just gave me this sense or warmth and kindness. He seemed more like the wise old man than Micheal Gambon. Not to say Micheal Gambon isn't doing a good job, because he is. I just thought Richard Harris was a perfect Dumbledore.






I totally agree with you here..I was kind of in shock at how they made Gambon's DD look.

I think Micheal Gambon was a better Dumbledore. He was soft and wise and seemed the character much more than the agressive and beard-in-a-ponytail Micheal Gambon. So basically, I agree with all of you.

hot-for-harry, do you mean you prefer Richard Harris?

I would have to say Michael Gambon. Yes, Harris was really good, but he seemed a bit to frail for me. Gambon seems stronger, and that's how I pictured Dumbledore to be, despite his age. But I guess it's just how you imagine Dumbledore, not that one is better than the other.

I'm sorry but that's how you imagine him? That's not how anyone I know imagined him. I mean he's always yelling and on the tip of exploding. he shakes Harry in GoF and for someone described in the books as kind hearted and cheerful I find it strange that I don't know anyone who has seen him actually smile in any of the movies. He hasn't even read the books, Harris may not have been great but at least he wasn't constantly yelling at the students which the real Dumbledore never did that often if at all. Just a terrible portrayal of Dumbledore, I can't imagine the King's Cross scene in the last book where he is supposed to be happy, he'll probably call Harry stupid at some point.

For me it is definately Richard Harris.
I really love both actors, they are brilliant in their own ways but Harris just fits the role so much better. I suppose it's because he was older and also his Dumbledore was truer to the books. Gambon has done a wonderful job of taking over though.

I think Richard Harris is definitely the better Dumbledore. He is more what I had in mind. I wish he could have been Dumbledore throughout the entire series. Gambon, ehh he just doesn't even seem like Dumbledore to me. Sometimes I wonder if he even puts that much effort into capturing Dumbledore in the movies.

Gambon seems better at Dumbeldore than Harris. As someone said, Harris seemed too frail. I know he was old, but Dumbeldore is much more energetic and enthusiastic than the way Harris portrayed him. I know Harris was old, but think about some of the scenes in HBP that he would have to do. I don't think he would of been able to do them. I think that Gambon was better fit for that part. In the beginning, I think that Harris was okay, but after a while, I think Gambon would of played it better. There are still parts that I believe Harris would of played really well. That's just my opinion though.

I vote for Richard Harris.

I have to totally agree here. I always imagined Dumbledore as being even-keeled, not quick to anger, and even if he was angry was able to keep himself in check. He could never yell at the students nor physically hurt them. Gambon just doesn't embody Dumbledore the way Harris did. All the Dumbledore scenes in PoA, GoF and OotP seem a bit "off" to me.

I think that describes how I feel about Gambon's acting, or lack thereof. I don't feel drawn to Gambon's Dumbledore in the movies like I do in the books.

I think it's important for an actor to make him or herself familiar with the story, or at least the character. I know sometimes an actor doesn't want to read the book so they can make the character their own, so perhaps the director didn't read the series and understand how Dumbledore was supposed to be portrayed. In either case, someone's homework should have been done.

Gambon was acceptable in PoA but I did not like him at all in GoF. Perhaps because I did not like GoF much at all may have something to do with Gambon's performance, as it would reflect on the director. I have to admit that I have only watched OotP a couple of times and can't really remember Gambon's performance. I am looking forward to the final 3 movies and hope that Gambon will do a better job in his role as Dumbledore in those films.

Final decision: Richard Harris. While reading books 6 and 7 i couldn't picture any other Dumbledore but R. Harris. I was trying to replace him with Gambon but it didn't work. Also I can't say that Gambon isn't nice actor cause he is, i can't deny that, but not good enough to be Albus Dumbledore from your imagination as good as Richard Harris.

Alright, I just watched OotP and have to admit I did like Gambon's performance, for the most part. I think Richard Harris would have done a better job, just because there was something about him that was "so Dumbledore". I was sorry to read that he did not enjoy his role as Dumbledore. I have not done any further research to see if he gave a reason for not liking the role. The one article I read made the comparison between his portrayal of Dumbledore with the actor that played Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (that actor also did not enjoy his role).

Richard Harris didn't like playing Dumbledore? I never knew that. I don't really know what's not to like. Maybe he found it boring...maybe he was an old stiff and just didn't see the magic in it.

I was fine with Gambon until GoF, in which I absolutely hated him. I thought he ruined the character. Course, I suppose it could have been the director's fault (really that whole movie was terrible) but if the actors had done their homework they would really know the essence of their character.

The best Dumbledore would be a mix of Harris and Dumbledore. Harris had the twinkle-in-the-eye Dumbledore, and Gambon had the quirky and powerful Dumbledore.

OK, after some digging I found an article regarding Harris' possible dislike of the Dumbledore role here. My only guess is that he had to agree to a 7-movie deal, and being 'rebellious by nature" he did not want to get tied down to one role. Perhaps this is why Alec Guiness (Obi Wan Kenobi) did not like his role, because it would tie him to one series for so long.

Thanks for that article!! I thought maybe that he just didn't like the script or hated the concept or something like that, but it makes sense that he didn't want to be tied down. I guess all in all he didn't even let himself get tied down by Harry Potter.

~This is exactly what I was going to say. I mean, I really liked Richard Harris but as the books progressed into the darkness and evil that JKR described as Voldemort's return to power, Gambon really embodied the role. I am really looking forward to seeing him portray how DD deals with the physical and mental capacities of discovering Voldemort's past while he is dying a slow death. I too imagined Dumbledore's strength despite his age old wisdom and thought that Gambon did certainly convey a strong character. The parts that he is overly angry and shouting I chalk up to Director's perrogative.


Again, the Director give the direction as to which he believes the actors should take. If we are disappointed at the way DD was shown on the big screen, we need to question the director. If he approved the scene...he seemed to think it was fit for the movie he was direction. I wouldn't necessarily call it a 'terrible portrayal' and I certainly wouldn't question anyone on how they imagined the character. I am looking forward to the challenges that Gambon will face in the next three movies. Like many of the previous posters have said, seeing him light-hearted and cheerful or "needy" on the Astronomy tower, isn't something we are used too but I for one am hoping to see him pull it off.

I agree full-heartedly nevillesgirl.

As an acting student at a performing arts school, many of the film students use me for their assignments. As a friend I am to give myself wholly to the director because it's their vision and their film. So if I were asked to do a scene overly excited, then I would. If I felt that it didn't fit well with the scene then I would bring it up with the director. From there a discussion is made and you end up seeing the director's intentions for the scene or you both decide to approach the scene differently.

Sometimes you just do many different takes with different approaches and then it's all up to the director and the editor to choose which one goes into the film.

So comparing actors and their interpretations of the character seems a little foggy (also considering that there has not been the same director for all the movies, Richard Harris had Chris Columbus and Gambon had...well, everyone else).

But in terms of which DD I preferred to see on screen, I think Richard Harris didn't have enough screen time in the first two films for me to deduce a fair favourite. I do enjoy Gambon's DD but have to admit I was a little taken aback by the shaking in GoF.

How can anyone not prefer Richard Harris? Lord how I miss him! "DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET HARRY!?" That was terrible, and the expression on his face when the goblet started to fire up again *sigh*.
To be fair to Gambon no one could really do it like Harris did and it would have been stupid of him to try.

I have no doubt my vote will go with the majority on the question even though I haven't checked the results. Richard Harris did a superb job, he was seriously Dumbledore there is no doubt about it. I must say Micheal did a fine job in Half Blood Prince, his first Potter performance I was pleased with.

I think both have traits that I like and the best Dumbledore would be a combination of both.

My pick was Gambon though since Iv´e grown quite accustomed to me over the years, I agree with the person who said that he or she didn´t imagine him as frail as Richard. The only movie I didn´t like Gambon was Gof but I personally think that was more the directors fault than Gambons.

Also he had the most under-rated line in Poa Am I seriously the only one who likes that line?

I didn´t even hate him when I first saw Poa and I was quite suprised at how many people did I mean Gof I can understand but Poa? Was he seriously that bad in that one?

Now that´s just my oppinion so go ahead and dissagree if you want but I must say that the Gambon hatred some people had especially after Gof was enough for me to tire of Harry Potter for a big while.

This is a hard one.. I think I've already said this, but they're both a part of Dumbledore. Richard Harris is the calm, old, happy Dumbledore. I'd have to say I always imagine Dumbledore to look more like Harris, but personnality-wise... a mix of both. Michael Gambon has the serious, energetic, darker side of Dumbledore, that I can't imagine on Richard Harris's part, he looks too fragile. I didn't really like Michael Gambon in PoA and GoF, he was way too loud and energetic and, ahh... violent (GoF). But in OoTP he was getting better, and finally in HBP he was great! I was alot happier with his performance there... its too bad thats the last we'll see of him. Sort of.

Anyway, Gambon is adorable and has the most amazing voice, ha ha.



No.

At first I would say Richard Harris for two reasons:
1) He's the original, so of course I'm more used to him.
2) How I see Dumbledore in the books.

However, I choose Michael now because:
1) I got used to him, & he's been in more HP movies now, so he's a "regular."
2) I love how he makes Dumbledore so funny!!

It's hard to decide, but I think I like Michael better, because he's funny.
But, if I wanted a dead-on accurate Dumbledore, I'd go with Richard.
RIP Richard

After re-reading all seven books, and rewatching all the movies, I would have to say it's split. Harris did a good job as Dumbledore, but I think Gambon does it just as well.

Harris, to me, portrays Dumbledore in looks, personality, and wit. However, I can't imagine any "power" from Harris. Dumbledore is supposed to be the only person Voldemort has ever feared, and when I picture Harris, I just don't see it. Yes, Dumbledore is supposed to be old, but in the books, he's still feared (in OOTP book when Dumbledore appeared, the Death Eaters reactions were priceless) and very powerful. If Harris was still alive (R.I.P) and still playing Dumbledore, I couldn't see him portraying the sense of power Gambon was able to emanate during the OOTP scene in the ministry. Also, in the HBP movie, the ring of fire scene, when I saw that, it was exactly how I imagined it while reading the book, and I think Gambon did it perfectly. Dumbledore weakened, but still able to pull off this powerful ring of fire.
So yeah, Harris to me is the looks, personality and wit of Dumbledore. Gambon is the power and fear. Plus, his portrayal of Dumbledore did get better as the movies went on.
And yes, I know Dumbledore is supposed to be kind, but he does have some moments in the books of "cold fury".

Also the design was was much improved for Hbp.
I know a lot of people liked that his beard has gotten longer but personally I must say the biggest improvement for me was the wig.

I mean seriously in Poa and Gof the wig he wore made Gambon look like a mix between a homless guy and a mad scientist.
In Hbp(and Ootp a bit too when I think about it) he looks alot more like a vise old merlin-type wizard which is a big plus.

Also don´t you think he looks a lot more like Richard without that silly hat?

Yeah, he does.

Preferably though I liked Richard Harris' portrayal of Dumbledore. I think it really fit the first two movies but it wouldn't have fit the next ones because they were starting to get a little darker and to me Harris portrayed a nicer, happier, charismatic, and more calm Dumbledore. Michael Gambon didn't really fit for me in GoF but he did really good in PoA and HBP. The way he dressed was always dreary and gray which seemed to dull his personalitly, but the movies kind of needed that so it ended up fitting. I'd have to go with Richard Harris as my pick, but Michael Gambons' performances are really good too.

I think Richard Harris did it for me. He was portrayed as a calm, happy and cheerful man- just like Dumbledore. Also, he looked just how I imagine Dumbledore to be
I think he would have done a terrific job in the rest of the movies. It's a real shame he died .

Gambon is an OK Dumbledore. I just prefer Harris... just my opinion.