casting

[c_voth312 <divaclv@aol.com>]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, TACtalk at a... wrote:
> 
> Despite the negative comments from others, yes, I do. He is a
> classically-trained actor who I believe is still a member of the 
Royal
> Shakespeare Company. Dumbledore is not a complicated part, and even 
playing
> Harris-playing-Dumbledore would be well within his abilities. 

I really think that whoever gets Dumbledore shouldn't be expected or 
encouraged to imitate Richard Harris' performance, because it would 
do both Harris and his successor a great disservice.  Nobody can play 
Dumbledore the way Harris did--this is neither a good nor bad thing, 
just a fact.  Lightbulbs and tires can be replaced; people cannot. 
Asking an actor to mold himself to Harris' characterization not only 
forces him to live in the latter's shadow (and he's going to have to 
do enough of that as is), it doesn't recognize the actor himself as 
an individual in his own right, with his own artistic merit and 
unique perspective.
JMHO, as always.

~Christi