Richard Griffiths: 5 Greatest Ever Movie Moments

2. Harry Potter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBfxOatX0tU You knew this would be coming. Uncle Vernon has become Griffiths' defining role. He's the titular character's odious, rude, ignorant uncle who hopes to squash out any and all abnormal elements that can trace back to himself. The character should be one of the most hateful people in the movie, but instead turns into a scene stealing buffoon who never fails to make the audience laugh. This is, of course, thanks to Griffiths' acting ability, since he can simultaneously make you hate Vernon, but, at the same time, manages to make you sorta feel bad for him. Uncle Vernon appeared in most of the Harry Potter films. Though he had less and less screen time in each film, he made the most of it, never failing to have at least one great line. Perhaps most memorable was his role in the first three films, where the audience had the privilege of watching him utterly humiliated and pushed to the point of madness over and over again. Perhaps this is even more effective because, when he's first introduced in the first film, he's a slightly intimidating character, locking Harry in a cupboard under the stairs. Once the film hints that there's a bigger universe for Harry to experience, however, Uncle Vernon's concerns seem small and petty. The desperate lengths he'll take to maintain a facade of normalcy just become more and more outrageous as crazier things happen around him. Griffiths brought so much madness and zany joy to the character, and that's what kept us as an audience collectively entertained even without Death Eaters of Alan Rickman on screen. ...you're probably wondering what could top that...