There are few franchises as wildly popular as Harry Potter. J.K. Rowlings' seven novels have been read by millions upon millions, and the films and Broadway bound play are still alive and well today. As such, it seems like just about every British actor of note has had some role in the franchise, whether it be the Harry Potter films or the new Fantastic Beasts ones. But there are a few fantastic Brit actors who were unable to nab a role, and two of them happen to be major figures on AMC's The Walking Dead: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) and David Morrissey (The Governor).
Andrew Lincoln recently appeared on AMC's Talking Dead, where he revealed how he and David Morrissey used to lament about their lack of magical movies while on set for The Walking Dead. When asked would happen if he didn't land the role of Rick Grimes, he opened up saying:
I may have been a cheesemaker. You know, Dave Morrissey and I, we used to sort of joke that we were the only actors in British equity that hadn't been in the Harry Potter franchise. So maybe I would've been wizarding about Hogwarts. Or hobbiting about Middle Earth. And I've always fancied the idea of getting my hands on a lightsaber.
Well, it looks like Rick Grimes came along at the perfect time for Andrew Lincoln. It's just a shame that he and David Morrissey didn't get to be on staff at Hogwarts beforehand.
While the idea of Rick Grimes and The Governor waving wands in cloaks seems like a silly idea, both actors are known for their fantastic performances on the show. As such, they probably could have brought some great life to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But which characters could they have played? Andrew Lincoln probably could have been a great Sirius Black, although obviously he wasn't going to win the role from Gary Oldman. And David Morrissey might have been perfect for another villainous character, like Lucius Malfoy.
Then again, getting roles in that iconic franchise might have prevented either actor from booking their part on The Walking Dead. The AMC series has never really cast big household names, with the exception of Jeffrey Dean Morgan. And while Andrew Lincoln had previously been seen in a somewhat Stalker-ish role from Love, Actually, many folks didn't put that together until later in TWD's run.
Of course, there's still hope that either Andrew Lincoln or David Morrissey could still show up in the Wizarding World. Fantastic Beasts is set to become a five film franchise, so there will be roles up for grabs. And if Rick were to actually die on The Walking Dead, both actors would also be available for shooting.
The next Harry Potter film will be Fantastic Beasts 2 on November 16, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
