10 Actors Insulted By Movie Roles They Were Offered

When an actor is offered a role that insults them to their very core, they usually pass on the project. That wasn't the case for Imelda Staunton when the prospect of playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films came about.

As anyone who's seen her work knows, she knocked that role out of the park.

The insult came when a friend read the book and suggested Staunton was perfect for it. It's easy to see why she might be offended... after all, Dolores Umbridge is probably a more hated character from the books and films than He Who Must Not Be Named.

After all, she tortured children, and who wouldn't be offended at being told they were "perfect" for that?

As it happens, that's not the aspect of the character that insulted her:

"Well, let's put it this way, when the book first came out, a friend called and said, 'You've got to read the new Harry Potter book, there's a part in it that's perfect for you when they make the film.' I thought, 'Oooh, how lovely.' Then I read the description in the book of a short, fat, ugly woman who was like a toad! Perfect for me, hmm? Thanks a lot. But she's a great personality. I never care what my character looks like as long as the role is good. That's why they call me No Make-Up Staunton!"

Fortunately, she took the part and made it her own.

Staunton's Dolores Umbridge certainly wasn't a squat, unattractive woman, and that didn't hamper her performance in any way.