Robin Williams was so sought after as an actor that directors would create roles with his quirks in mind; Aladdin, for example, was tailored specifically for him. So it’s hard to believe that, when he personally called a director to ask for a role, he was immediately turned down.
And the role was a major one; one he was not even granted a screen test for due to a unique casting rule. It’s easy to imagine Williams shining if things had turned out differently, but at the same time, it’s difficult to picture anyone taking on the role other than the actor who made the character iconic and forever synonymous with the franchise.
Let’s go behind the scenes to find out which film Robin Williams personally called to ask for an audition, only to be politely refused.
THE ROLE ROBIN WILLIAMS WANTED
In 2000, Williams, acclaimed for his roles in Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, and more, called director Chris Columbus to express his interest in auditioning for the one, the only Rubeus Hagrid in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The director was undoubtedly pleased to receive a call from Williams, but he couldn’t offer him the role of Hagrid, or Remus Lupin, the other character he was hoping to portray.
But why?
It certainly wasn’t due to a lack of skill or recognition, or even a lack of familiarity with the plot (Williams was reportedly a huge fan of the Harry Potter book series). The reason Columbus couldn’t offer him the role had nothing to do with his talent or excitement; rather, it was his nationality that prevented him from securing it.
WHY IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO SECURE
He wasn’t British.
No exceptions were made: no American actors were allowed to appear in the film, excluding Williams from even auditioning.
“Williams had called Columbus because he really wanted to be in the movie, but it was a British-only edict, and once he said no to Robin, he wasn’t going to say yes to anybody else; that’s for sure. It couldn’t be,” casting director Janet Hirshenson told Huffington Post in 2014.
Williams was not the only American celebrity hoping to act in the film, only to be unsuccessful in landing the role. According to Vice, Rosie O’Donnell also rang Columbus, asking for a chance to audition for the part of Molly Weasley. What’s more, she offered to play the character for free!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or The Philosopher’s Stone, as it’s known in the UK) was released in 2001 and quickly became the biggest box office hit of the year, grossing $974 million worldwide. The film starred Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, and Dame Julie Walters as Molly Weasley.