Robin Williams still remains in the hearts of millions of moviegoers. His already prestigious filmography could however have included a few films from an equally prestigious saga: “Harry Potter”. An obvious encounter between the actor and this universe which unfortunately never happened.
Robin Williams: a legendary actor
Robin Williams is one of those actors who rocked the childhood of many spectators. Indeed, the actor embodied, like few people the 80s and 90s, thanks to characters who have their hearts on their hands. Genius of humor and improvisation since his youth, he became known in the 70s via Happy days where his fierce portrayal of alien Mork forces producers to create a spin-off around his character. This is how in the series Mork and Mindy, the comedian explodes. For four seasons, he carried the series thanks to his devastating humor and his sense of improvisation. which will earn him the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy television series.
In the early 1980s, Robin Williams leaves the small screen for the big one. It is then the beginning of the “Williamsmania”, since it connects the performances memorable in films which are just as much: Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam (thanks to which he won his first Golden Globe and was nominated for the first time at the Oscars), John Keating in Dead Poets Society (second Oscar nomination for Robin), Parry in Fisher King: The Fisher King (third Oscar nomination), The Genius in Aladdin, Peter Pan in Hook or Captain Hook’s Revenge, Iphigenia Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire (which won him a new Golden Globe), Alan Parrish in Jumanji and Sean Maguire in Will hunting (role which makes him win the only Oscar of his career).
Each interpretation of the actor will amaze his contemporaries. And even when he will interpret characters more unfriendly than usual (as in Photo Obsession Where Insomnia), the actor will hit the mark. No wonder then that his sudden disappearance in 2014 still leaves traces today …
Remus williams
After his death, anecdotes still continue to multiply around Robin Williams. Starting with his potential participation in the saga Harry potter. Indeed, Chris Columbus, director ofHarry potter and the sorcerer’s stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, recently confessed in an interview with Total Film, than the late actor wanted to play Remus Lupine. Only, he had to refuse the offer, for a very specific reason:
I had a conversation with Robin Williams, who wanted to play Lupine. It was very difficult for me to say “The whole cast is British. I can’t do anything.”
Indeed, in the manner of the James Bond franchise where each 007 must be British, the saga Harry potter has a clause (issued by JK Rowling herself) stating that all the actors hired for the saga had to be also.
Certainly David Thewlis did an admirable job playing Remus Lupine between 2004 and 2011 (fromHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). However, when we remember Robin Williams’ performance as a professor in Dead Poets Society, we can only say that his meeting with Daniel Radcliffe would have been exciting.
The actor also wanted to play another character
However, Remus Lupine wasn’t the only character the actor wanted to play. Indeed, a few years earlier, Robin Williams had already knocked on the door of the Warner to embody… Hagrid.
Totally fan of the Harry Potter books, he then approached Chris Columbus, with whom he had collaborated on 9 months too, Mrs. Doubtfire and The bicentennial man. Only, the director had to decline the proposal there too, because of the British clause. The role ultimately went to Robbie Coltrane. There too, there can be no doubt that he would have accomplished an incredible performance in the skin of the Giant.
