Alan Cumming's Fiery Reason for Rejecting a Major Harry Potter Role

The wizarding world saga stands as a cinematic landmark, partly for its incredible roster of esteemed British performers. While the central young characters were brought to life by newcomers, the supporting ensemble was packed with legends like Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Ralph Fiennes. This makes it all the more curious that a celebrated stage and screen presence like Alan Cumming never made an appearance.

A Deceptive Offer

With a resume filled with memorable parts in movies like GoldenEye and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Cumming had proven his versatility. His flair for eccentric, larger-than-life characters made him seem like the perfect candidate to portray Gilderoy Lockhart, the vain Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in the second installment. When the opportunity arose, however, the negotiations quickly soured.

He recounted to The Telegraph that he flatly declined the part after discovering the producers were being dishonest about the salary. “They wanted me and Rupert Everett to do a screen test, and they said they couldn’t pay me more than a certain sum; they just didn’t have any more money in the budget,” Cumming claimed. The problem was, he knew this wasn't the whole truth.

"Stupidly Lying"

The situation unraveled because both he and Everett shared the same representation. “I had the same agent as Rupert, who, of course, they were going to pay more.” The peformer was incensed by the deceit, particularly what he called their “stupidly lying,” as they seemed to assume he wouldn't discover the discrepancy.

His response was immediate and unfiltered. “I said, ‘Tell them to fuck right off’ and thought, well Rupert’s going to get the part,” he recalled. With his own candidacy withdrawn, he expected his friend would secure the job.

A Surprising Twist

Things didn't go as expected. Everett went through with the audition process, and Cumming remembered that his friend “brought his own wig.” Despite this effort, the studio went in a completely different direction. “And then they fucking gave it to Kenneth Branagh,” he stated. The choice was somewhat baffling at the time. Branagh was already an Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and performer with a distinguished career, yet he was cast in what amounted to a comedic relief position.

Lockhart is initially presented as a celebrated wizard, but is ultimately exposed as a coward and a fraud when real danger emerges at the school. While Branagh did a fine job, it remains a shame that an artist with Cumming's unique talents was denied a chance to join the iconic cinematic event.

A Different Path to Stardom

Although the wizarding world passed him by, another major opportunity came just a year later. He was cast as the teleporting mutant Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United. Unlike the cowardly Lockhart, Nightcrawler was a pivotal and complex character who quickly became a fan favorite. The recent announcement that Cumming will reprise the beloved blue-skinned mutant in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday has been met with widespread excitement from audiences.