# The Quest for Dumbledore **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051 "2002-11-16T18:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/21 "2002-11-17T20:01:19Z")
What about Patrick McGoohan? If he’s still around, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/22 "2002-11-17T20:03:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by medstar \* > \*\*What about Patrick McGoohan? If he’s still around, of course. \*\* He’s actually busy with a big screen adaptation of THE PRISONER. (Unfortunately, Leo McKern passed away this past summer; there’s only one Number 2, and Leo is his name.) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/23 "2002-11-17T20:52:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Menocchio \* > \*\*Ian Holm (Bilbo in FOTR). I always thought Dumbledore was the sort easily, too easily, dismissed as a doddering (not frail, like Harris played him) old man, until you looked him in the eye. Or he cuts loose in an almost terrifying manner, like he did at the end of book four. Holm could do that. \*\* Isn’t he a tad short for the role? I don’t mean his Hobbit-size; I always got the impression he was a bit short in real life. It’s a pity Sir Ralph Richardson is dead; he made such a wonderfully acerbic wizard in _Dragonslayer_. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/24 "2002-11-17T23:06:28Z")
Peter O’ Toole, absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/25 "2002-11-17T23:24:49Z")
“Isn’t he a tad short for the role?” How much does this really matter? For instance I found out that the guy who played Gimli in LOTR (Rhys-Davies?) was 6 foot 3 IRL and it would seem easier for a short guy to play a tall guy than the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/26 "2002-11-17T23:28:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alias \* > \*\*John Hurt would be wonderful. He’s got that super-refined British way about him, yet he’s got an underlying gentleness that is essential to the character. \*\* Good choice, but he’s already playing Ollivander, the wand seller. Ollivander has a bigger role in _Goblet of Fire_ (whenever that movie comes out) than in _Sorcerer’s Stone_, but not by much. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/27 "2002-11-18T00:15:18Z")
Ian McKellen and (My favorite double phallic name and actor) Peter O’Toole were my first choices. A very close runner up would be Patrick Stewart. Class, power, and twinkle. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/28 "2002-11-18T02:16:55Z")
As much as I love Ian McKellen, I would hate to see him play Dumbledore. I think it would really lessen the impact of him as Gandalf to make him ‘generic Hollywood wizard’, even though I’m sure he would play the role excellently. Patrick Stewart could certainly pull it off, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/29 "2002-11-18T02:28:54Z")
Anyone else wishing Alex Guinness hadn’t died? And my money’s on McKellen. A) He’s the current ‘old english guy’ in Hollywood. B) He sure can act. C) The wheelbarrow full of money will probably overcome any objections. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/30 "2002-11-18T07:37:45Z")
I vote for **Peter O’Toole.** I’ll also throw a couple of other names into the sorting hat: **Michael Caine** - second only to O’Toole in the “eye twinkling” department **Jim Broadbent** - great character actor **John Cleese** - with a long beard and robe I imagine he makes a great wizard. **Tom Baker** - just because it would be cool ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/31 "2002-11-18T07:39:53Z")
oops! I forgot that Cleese plays one of the ghosts! ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/32 "2002-11-18T19:22:56Z")
My choice? Christopher Lloyd: Restrainable manic energy. Plenty of eye-twinkling. Already played a professor. ## Althogh whenever I suggest this my girlfriend thinks I mean Christopher Lambert, who wouldn’t be as appropriate. Neko ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/33 "2002-11-18T19:27:51Z")
Well, as long as dead guys are being brought up, I’m voting for John Gielgud. His is the voice I use when I read Harry Potter books to Michaela. And the voice I hear when I read them to myself. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/34 "2002-11-18T19:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*He’s actually busy with a big screen adaptation of THE PRISONER. (Unfortunately, Leo McKern passed away this past summer; there’s only one Number 2, and Leo is his name.) \*\* Sorry for the hijack, but HOLD THE PHONE!!! _NO WAY!?!_ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/35 "2002-11-18T19:47:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scout1222 \* > \*\*Sorry for the hijack, but HOLD THE PHONE!!! _NO WAY!?!_ \*\* Way- [http://freespace.virgin.net/rob.free-for-all/issue\_34/film.htm](http://freespace.virgin.net/rob.free-for-all/issue_34/film.htm) (There are probably more current postings, but this was written when it was a Mel Gibson project.) ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/36 "2002-11-18T21:56:04Z")
How about **Christopher Walken** Or, to make sure we hit everyone named Chris… **Christopher Reeve** ---
**Author:** ![Canyon\_Surfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Canyon\_Surfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canyon_Surfer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051/37 "2002-11-18T22:11:46Z")
I was thinking about this after I heard that Richard Harris had died. My first thought was Peter O’Toole, then I saw an old Columbo episode with Patrick McGoohan in it and I thought that he could do it, but after reading the other posts here my choice would be Sean Connery. He was part way there with that “grunge thing” at the beginning of The Rock and the twinkle is definitely there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-quest-for-dumbledore/137051.md?page=1)