20 Harry Potter Actors Who Are No Longer With Us

2. Richard Harris - Albus Dumbledore

Richard Harris' death changed the flow of the Harry Potter franchise more than any other, as when he passed, the series lot one of its key players. Having appeared twice as Albus Dumbledore, Harris was already engrained in the collected appreciation of fans, and a great performance it was too.

His Dumbledore was softer than replacement Michael Gambon's, more wise-eyed and caring (though Gambon's performance was arguably more suited to the more complex material later on). And there's no denying that he looked almost exactly as fans would have pictured the great old wizard.

Dumbledore was just the last in a long line of performances that saw him rise to the top of the British industry, as well as earning him two Oscar nominatons, as well as a Golden Globe and a Grammy.

He died aged 72 on 25th October, 2002.

Even in death he shaped the franchise: according to Sir Ian McKellen, Harris had been so vocal about his disdain for his acting ability that when the studio approached him to follow him as Dumbledore, he flatly refused. Somehow, it wouldn't have seemed right to step into the shoes of a man who had called him inferior.