Harry Potter – The Series, Who Will Play Dumbledore? The Name of an Oscar-Winning Actor Pops Up!

The Variety website has exclusively revealed the name of the actor currently in pole position for the role of Dumbledore in the highly anticipated Harry Potter series: here's who it is!

Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Two months after the start of casting, the first rumors are arriving about the cast of the HBO series of Harry Potter, the famous literary saga by J. K. Rowling capable of selling over 500 million copies worldwide and already brought to the big screen with a revenue of over seven billion dollars. In the last few hours, the Variety website has exclusively relaunched one of the names in the running to play one of the key characters in the events of the beloved wizard, namely the Headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore.

Harry Potter: The Series, an Oscar-winning actor is in the running for the role of Albus Dumbledore

According to Variety, Warner Bros. has reportedly eyed Mark Rylance for the role of Albus Dumbledore, a British actor known for his portrayal of Rudolph Abel in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, for which he won the Oscar for best supporting actor and the BAFTA for best-supporting actor. The star is said to be the name favored by the production for the part. Sources, however, assure that negotiations between Warner Bros. Television and the actor have not begun, but the studio is evaluating his interest in the role and his possible availability. In the film series, the character of Albus Dumbledore was played in the first two films by Richard Harris, and in the remaining ones by Michael Gambon.

Representatives for Mark Rylance have not yet released any statement. An HBO representative told Variety: “We appreciate that such a high-profile series generates a lot of rumors and speculation. We will confirm the details only when we finalize the agreements". As happened with the film saga, the Harry Potter series - expected on the small screen between 2026 and 2027 - will feature young, little-known actors alongside an adult cast of well-known faces, many of whom come from the United Kingdom.