[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Casting mis-steps

[No Limberger]

>Carol wrote:
>Regarding Michael Gambon, he was, of course, at a disadvantage
>stepping into a role that another, much older (and beloved) actor, had
>handled very differently. It's also hard for a man in his sixties to play a

>very old man of close to 115, however well preserved. I realize that
>sixty-plus seems ancient to most children and teenagers, but Gambon's
>Dumbledore comes across as being about the same age as Dame Maggie
>Smith's McGonagall, not absolutely ancient like Richard Harris, who
>was only ten years older but with his frail health seemed more like thirty
>years older. Gambon is certainly better suited to the action scenes
>(I loved his escape with Fawkes from Umbridge and Fudge).

No.Limberger responds:
IMO, Michael Gambon has done a very good job overall in the role of
Albus Dumbledore.  As you point out, he had to step into a role left
by the late Richard Harris, whose deteriorating health was evident in
CoS.  There is no way, for example, that Harris (were he alive) would
have been able to duel LV in OotP, and the scene that you referred to
in GoF where DD escapes Fudge & Umbridge would also have been
difficult for him to muster.

>Carol wrote:
>The costuming department is also partly to blame. He never changes
>clothes, whereas Book!Dumbledore always dresses flamboyantly.
>(I always think of Merlin when JKR describes his clothing, except
>for the blue buckled boots in SS/PS. Don't know where those came
>from!) The real DD (sorry, I mean Book!DD) would never wear that
>stupid little hat or a rubber band around his beard like some sort
>of hippie from the Sixties.

No.Limberger responds:
I prefer the wardrobe that Harris wore over what Gambon has worn.
I don't know what that little thing is wrapped around the beard and
the little hat is also a bit odd.

>Carol wrote:
>Anyway, I don't think that Michael Gambon is miscast. He has the
>energy and twinkle (and occasional sternness or anger) that readers
>of the books associate with Dumbledore. If we just look at his face,
>ignoring his age and the stupid beard tie, he actually seems at times
>like Dumbledore. But he really needs to read the books--all of them--to
>understand the character and to think of himself *as* Dumbledore
>rather than as himself *playing* Dumbledore, if that makes any sense.

No.Limberger responds:
I totally agree.  While Gambon hasn't read the books (and he probably
should), he has done an excellent, imo, portraying DD.  It was no
doubt quite stressful to step into the role left behind by the late
Richard Harris, but he found his own way to portray DD that, imo,
comes across very close to the DD that we know from the books.

-- 
"Why don't you dance with me, I'm not no limberger!"


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