Steven Spielberg Confirms He Cast the Most Beloved Harry Potter Actors - MCE Notices | California State Portal

The Harry Potter films are iconic the way they are, and it’s mostly due to the fantastic casting. Fans have Steven Spielberg to thank for a part of that.

The Harry Potter cast consisted of newcomers for the child actors, making Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint famous. However, it also featured an adult cast made up of English and Irish legends. In a new interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused, to promote his new film, Disclosure Day, Spielberg confirmed his involvement in the early development of Harry Potter, and that he picked the most beloved adult stars: Sir Richard Harris, Dame Maggie Smith, and Robbie Coltrane.

Steven Spielberg Detailed His Harry Potter Journey

“I developed it,” Spielberg agreed about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. “I developed it with Steve Kloves. I developed the second draft with Steve, trying to turn it into something that I was interested in directing.”

He added, “I had just worked with Maggie Smith on Hook, so I proposed Maggie Smith,” he noted, who went on to play Professor Minerva McGongall.” I knew Richard Harris, he was a friend of mine a long time ago. I put him in the movie,” he explained about the actor, who played the soft version of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the first two films, and Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid. “No, that was it,” he confirmed.

“But then, I got out of the movie for personal reasons, and no anger, no big controversies, I stepped out,” Spielberg clarified. “And then my protégé, Chris Columbus, stepped in and made two Harry Potter films.”

The filmmaker departed the project in the early 2000s, and it was teased that Spielberg wanted to combine the story of the novels, and turn it into an animated film through his studio, DreamWorks Animation. Warner Bros. didn’t like the idea, as it wanted individual live-action films for each novel.

In a statement at the time, Spielberg shared, “I have every certainty that the series of Harry Potter movies will be phenomenally successful. J.K. Rowling’s vision of Harry Potter is modern genius,” he said.

The filmmaker explained, “However, at this time, my directorial interests are taking me in another direction. Most importantly, I look forward to reading the fourth Harry Potter book this summer and taking my family to see the first movie next summer.”

J.K. Rowling Addressed Steven Spielberg’s Interest in Harry Potter

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Rowling wrote about Spielberg on her website in the “Rubbish Bin” section, highlighting that she couldn’t pick any director. “I don’t choose directors for the Harry Potter films!” the author clarified.

Rowling explained, “I’ve met all three men who’ve had the job to date – Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón and Mike Newell,” she wrote, referring to Columbus, who helmed the first two, Cuarón, who directed 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Newell, who helmed the fourth entry, 2025’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. “I’ve liked all of them very much, enjoyed answering their questions about the characters and plots and have been delighted with the films they made (I haven’t seen Goblet yet, but the omens are good!). But that’s the full extent of my involvement with directors.”

The post noted, “Steven Spielberg did consider directing Philosopher’s Stone, but decided against it; anyone who thinks I could (or would) have ‘veto-ed’ him needs their Quick-Quotes Quill serviced.”