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At least 27 performers credited in the original eight Harry Potter films had died by August 12, 2026. The list includes two Dumbledores, two Elphias Doges, major stars such as Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Helen McCrory, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith, and credited voice performers including Leslie Phillips and Timothy Bateson.
This article covers real-life deaths of performers from the eight original films released from 2001 through 2011—not fictional character deaths, Fantastic Beasts cast members, stage performers, uncredited extras or crew.
At least 27 performers credited in the original eight Harry Potter films had died by the research cutoff of August 12, 2026. The list includes two actors who played Albus Dumbledore, two who played Elphias Doge, major performers such as Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Helen McCrory, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith, and credited voice performers including Leslie Phillips and Timothy Bateson.
This is a list of real-life deaths of performers, not a list of Harry Potter characters who died in the story. It covers performers credited in the eight original feature films released from 2001 to 2011. It does not include actors known only for Fantastic Beasts, the stage play, the forthcoming television adaptation, uncredited extras or crew members.
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The Harry Potter actors who have died
| Actor | Harry Potter role | Film appearance | Date or year of death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Harris | Albus Dumbledore | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 2002 |
| Elizabeth Spriggs | The Fat Lady | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 2008 |
| Robert Knox | Marcus Belby | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | May 24, 2008 |
| Timothy Bateson | Kreacher, voice | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 2009 |
| Jimmy Gardner | Ernie Prang | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 2010 |
| Alfred Burke | Armando Dippet | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 2011 |
| Eric Sykes | Frank Bryce | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 2012 |
| Richard Griffiths | Vernon Dursley | Several films, including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | 2013 |
| Peter Cartwright | Elphias Doge | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 2013 |
| Derek Deadman | Tom, the Leaky Cauldron landlord | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 2014 |
| Roger Lloyd-Pack | Barty Crouch Sr. | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 2014 |
| David Ryall | Elphias Doge | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | December 25, 2014 |
| Dave Legeno | Fenrir Greyback | Later Harry Potter films | 2014 |
| Terence Bayler | The Bloody Baron | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 2016 |
| Alan Rickman | Severus Snape | All eight films | January 2016 |
| Hazel Douglas | Bathilda Bagshot | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | 2016 |
| John Hurt | Garrick Ollivander | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the final films | 2017 |
| Robert Hardy | Cornelius Fudge | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Goblet of Fire; Order of the Phoenix | 2017 |
| Sam Beazley | Professor Everard | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 2017 |
| Verne Troyer | Griphook, physical performance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 2018 |
| Robbie Coltrane | Rubeus Hagrid | All eight films | October 14, 2022 |
| Leslie Phillips | The Sorting Hat, voice | Original film series | November 2022 |
| Helen McCrory | Narcissa Malfoy | Final three films | April 2021 |
| Paul Ritter | Eldred Worple | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 2021 |
| Michael Gambon | Albus Dumbledore | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban through Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | September 27, 2023 |
| Maggie Smith | Minerva McGonagall | Original film series | September 27, 2024 |
| Simon Fisher-Becker | The Fat Friar | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | March 9, 2025 |
Note: The table follows the documented 27-performer count, but its rows are grouped broadly by the order in which the deaths were reported rather than strict chronological order in every section. Dates are shown at the level supported by the available reporting.
The best-known losses
Richard Harris and Michael Gambon: the two Dumbledores
Richard Harris originated the role of Albus Dumbledore in the first two films, Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets. After Harris died in 2002, Michael Gambon took over from the third film, Prisoner of Azkaban, and played Dumbledore through the conclusion of the series.
They were not two actors sharing the same credit in one film: Harris and Gambon separately carried the role in different parts of the eight-film story. Gambon appeared in six of the eight films and died on September 27, 2023, aged 82.
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape
Alan Rickman played Severus Snape in all eight films. His performance made the Hogwarts professor one of the franchise’s most memorable and complicated figures. Rickman died in January 2016 at the age of 69 after pancreatic cancer.
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Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
Robbie Coltrane appeared as Hagrid throughout the original film series. The half-giant’s warmth and loyalty made Coltrane’s performance central to the emotional life of the films. Coltrane died on October 14, 2022, aged 72.
Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
Helen McCrory portrayed Narcissa Malfoy in the final three films. Her character belongs to one of the story’s most important families, but McCrory gave Narcissa a distinctive presence beyond her relationship to Draco and Lucius. McCrory’s family announced her death in April 2021; she was 52.
Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall
Maggie Smith played Professor Minerva McGonagall throughout the film series. McGonagall’s sternness, humor and courage made her one of Hogwarts’ defining adults. Smith died on September 27, 2024, aged 89.
Important role changes and split performances
There were two Elphias Doges
Peter Cartwright originated the role of Elphias Doge in Order of the Phoenix. After Cartwright died in 2013, David Ryall played Dumbledore’s friend in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Both performers therefore belong on a complete list, even though each appeared as Doge in only part of the series.
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Griphook was performed by Verne Troyer and Warwick Davis
Verne Troyer physically portrayed the goblin Griphook in the first film, while Warwick Davis supplied the character’s voice. Davis later played the role himself in the series. Troyer should therefore be described as Griphook’s physical performer in the first film, not as the character’s sole performer.
The Fat Lady and the Fat Friar are different ghosts
Elizabeth Spriggs played the Fat Lady, the portrait guarding the Gryffindor common room, in the first film. Simon Fisher-Becker played the Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost, in that same film. They are separate characters and separate performers.
Fisher-Becker’s death on March 9, 2025, aged 63, is the reason older online lists that name 26 deceased Harry Potter performers are now out of date.
Voice performers are included
Timothy Bateson voiced Kreacher in Order of the Phoenix, while Simon McBurney later voiced the house-elf in Deathly Hallows. Leslie Phillips supplied the distinctive voice of the Sorting Hat in the original film series. Because these are credited film performances, they are included here and clearly labeled as voice roles.
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Other notable supporting performers
- Jimmy Gardner played Ernie Prang, the eccentric Knight Bus driver, in Prisoner of Azkaban.
- Alfred Burke appeared as the former Hogwarts headmaster Armando Dippet in the flashback sequence in Chamber of Secrets.
- Eric Sykes played Frank Bryce, the Riddle family’s gardener, in Goblet of Fire.
- Richard Griffiths played Harry’s uncle Vernon Dursley across several films.
- Roger Lloyd-Pack played Ministry official Barty Crouch Sr. in Goblet of Fire.
- Derek Deadman played Tom, the Leaky Cauldron landlord, in the first film.
- Dave Legeno played the werewolf Fenrir Greyback in the later films. He died in 2014 after becoming incapacitated by heat and dehydration while hiking in Death Valley.
- John Hurt played wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, beginning with the first film and returning in the final films.
- Robert Hardy played Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in several films.
- Terence Bayler played the Slytherin ghost known as the Bloody Baron in the first film.
- Hazel Douglas played the elderly historian Bathilda Bagshot in Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
- Sam Beazley appeared as the portrait of Professor Everard in Order of the Phoenix; he died in 2017 at the age of 101.
- Paul Ritter appeared as wizard and writer Eldred Worple in Half-Blood Prince.
Two deaths that require careful wording
Robert Knox
Robert Knox played Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He was fatally stabbed in London on May 24, 2008, aged 18, before the film was released. The fact that his character is a minor student and that the film came out later can make him easy to overlook in cast lists.
Verne Troyer
Verne Troyer’s contribution was a physical performance rather than the complete vocal performance of Griphook. That distinction matters when counting performers and avoids erasing Warwick Davis’s credited work as the character’s voice and later on-screen performer.
Why the number is “at least” 27
Twenty-seven is the dependable practical count supported by the documented list above, including Simon Fisher-Becker’s 2025 death. It is not necessarily an eternal or mathematically exhaustive total. The original films contain a very large British and Irish ensemble, and comprehensive databases can differ over very small credited parts, voice credits, archive footage and borderline or uncredited appearances.
No additional confirmed death of a credited performer in the original eight films was located in research covering 2025 through August 12, 2026. That is a research cutoff, not proof that no obscure credited performer could have died without broad reporting.
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Want to revisit the performances?
Viewers who want to remember these performers in context may want a complete Harry Potter 8-film collection. Check the edition, region, seller, subtitles, audio options and current availability before buying; physical-media listings and formats can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Harry Potter actors have died?
At least 27 performers credited in the original eight Harry Potter films had died by August 12, 2026. The count includes credited supporting and voice performers, but excludes uncredited extras, crew and performers known only for other Harry Potter productions.
Who was the most recent Harry Potter actor to die?
Simon Fisher-Becker, who played the Fat Friar in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, died on March 9, 2025, aged 63. His death updated many older lists that counted 26 performers.
Which two actors played Dumbledore?
Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two films. Michael Gambon took over from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and played the role through Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
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Yes. Leslie Phillips voiced the Sorting Hat and Timothy Bateson voiced Kreacher. They are included because their credited voices are part of the films’ performances.
The Bottom Line
The updated list contains at least 27 performers from the original eight Harry Potter films who had died by August 12, 2026. The most important counting details are the two Dumbledores, the two Elphias Doges, the separate Fat Lady and Fat Friar roles, and the clearly labeled voice and split performances.
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