The Harry Potter film series has been a remarkable achievement in so many areas, but one of the places where it has really shined has been in casting great English actors for small roles. Small recurring roles; these actors show up on set for a couple of days every other year and lend a tremendous amount of gravitas to the proceedings, all while probably having a lot of fun.
The latest addition to the collection (and probably the last great English actor making his or her way into the Potter series) is Bill Nighy. He confirms to The Independent that he’ll be in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say it but
I’m going to be in the next Harry Potter film,” he says. “I
won’t say which character, but he’s a goodie. I just got the gig.”
Current speculation has Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, the latest Minister of Magic. It’s a smaller role, but is there any doubt that Nighy will kill in it?
And by the way, apropos of nothing: I was previously concerned about David Yates coming back for the final Potter film, and I was worried about Deathly Hallows being broken up into two films. Lately, though, I’ve been feeling much less concerned. And I’m starting to wonder if, when it’s all said and done, David Yates won’t be the name most associated with Harry Potter‘s greatness, alongside JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe. Just a hunch.