5 Harry Potter Characters That Are NOTHING like They Are in the Books (BOOK vs MOVIE)

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today, we’ll be discussing a handful of Harry Potter book characters who are NOTHING like their movie counterparts.
As a general rule, fans of book series know to watch movie adaptations of the novels they love without expecting too much-for it is extremely rare that a filmmaker's vision will match the fictitious world that a fan has created in their own mind. After all, how could you expect every single person to interpret a book the EXACT same way-from the appearance of the characters to how the world looks around them. And even if there was some sort of consensus on how a character was supposed to look, there’s also the fact that it’s incredibly unlikely for there to be an actor or actress out there who perfectly resembles that character, is the right age, has the correct dialect, AND can act. Of course, this seems even more impossible when applying the concept to an entire cast of characters-like in Harry Potter.
And so, when the first movie adaptation of the Harry Potter series, The Philosopher’s Stone, was released in 2001, it goes without saying that fans of the books knew things wouldn’t be perfect. BUT it wasn’t unreasonable to think that the films would at least TRY to accurately reflect the people and places that fans had read on the pages of the first few books. And in many ways, it did-especially, that first film. However, as more and more movies were made, there were some pretty glaring differences between the books and the films-in particular, with some of the main characters of the series.
And so, here are five book characters that I think are NOTHING like their movie counterparts…
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[@johnyoung5413]

And Dumbledore. He’s so much more angry in the films than the books. Especially goblet of fire

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

With Hermione I don't so much mind the differences in her appearance, especially with the overly large teeth. I think they could've done more to overtime have her hair at least somewhat frizzy or curly. I will say character wise it's become more and more glaring to me as I've been listening to the audiobooks recently just how different her personality is as the movies go on. I agree with your assessment, they sort of just made her less of a know-it-all who always leaned towards following rules, and in the film she's just kind of a less extreme of a lot of those and that is all just smoothed out into her being an extremely gifted witch. For Ron I personally think Rupert Grint's appearance was okay but I agree more freckles and being a bit taller definitely would've helped. Once again though I'm more bothered by the lines and personality stuff that were changed in the film. For the main trio I think the most annoying change throughout the series for me is the fact that they felt the need to syphon all of Ron's bravery, and abilities into Hermione and Harry, when they didn't need it. In the movies the sometimes almost diminish Ron down to basically being Neville, just closer friends with Harry and Hermione. I also think these changes in Ron and Hermione's personalities also hurt the perception of them ending up together in the films. I really liked JK Rowlings decision to have them end up together, but I know a lot of film fans who are in the group who think Harry and Hermione should've ended up together instead. I think a lot of that has to do with the differences in Ron's character and lines in the film. That and of course Ginny.... I again really like the actress chosen for Ginny. Ginny is so much more of an important character in the books. Her relationship with Harry over the years was also so much better. Getting to see her go from crushing and shy toward Harry, then getting over that and just being friends, and then going full circle and falling in love once Harry had come around to looking at her for who she was rather than just Ron's little sister. Ginny might be the character I wish we got more of most in the film. For Bellatrix... I think she suffered from Helena Bonham Carter's tendancy to play evil characters, usually with a insanity level to her characters. Which is fine for Bellatrix who is a very evil character but yeah they sort of make her a little too crazy in appearance and in speaking at times.

[@jkrause365]

Spot on.

[@JamesMC04]

Kloves ruined Hermione, by ruining Ron.

[@macwelch8599]

Hopefully these changes will be rectified in the HBO series

[@QALibrary]

Also they chopped full senes out of the movie vs the books

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

As much as the movies aren’t perfect, I’ll be honest I have my doubts that the HBO series will be better. Hope I’m wrong! 😂 I’ve just been turned cynical towards new adaptations especially in TV shows lately (I’m a huge Star Wars and Tolkien fan) which have let me down recently.

[@ShannonCarter55]

​@@spencertaylor-mrliltay she who should not be named aka JK Rowling is executive producer on the show if I recall. It's what's got the trans activists up in arms about the future show 😆.

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

@@ShannonCarter55 😂 she who must not be named. That’s a good one. I had heard about that, which is definitely a good sign. I’m certainly hoping the series is good! I just can’t help but feel like in some ways (no matter how many flaw they did have) I’ll still prefer a lot of what the films did, Rowling was after all, involved with the movies as well. And regardless of the differences and missing scenes or changes that I wish didn’t have to be made… it is hard for me imagine many of the characters portrayed as anyone but the original actors. Harry especially.

[@ShannonCarter55]

@@spencertaylor-mrliltay one benefit of doing a book over a season is that the characters don't suddenly jump up three years instead of one year. And everything can be included, plus anything that Rowling wanted to include but couldn't. And Phoenix and Prince will benefit from that, particularly with developing Ginny better than the movies. I just hope Ron doesn't get the same treatment or Hermione just ends up a carbon copy of Emma Watson. Plus it would be good if casting sticks to the book accurate descriptions. Harry with green eyes, Ron being lanky with freckles, Hermione with slightly bigger teeth and hair as described. I don't want a race swap either.

[@mecahhannah]

❤ Awesome as always thanks

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

Slightly off topic. I think the movies missed out on a lot of humor that was in the books. I’m going through the books again currently one of the things I think they really missed out on throughout the series, is a lot of the fun lines/moments in the books. There’s so many lines especially Fred & George, Ron, and Harry that are super funny in the books but aren’t in the movies.

[@lightcpkhfm2305]

they missed all the moments of sassy potter

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

@@lightcpkhfm2305 😂 100%! Not only him being sassy outwardly either. Sometimes the funniest stuff is what he compares or describes new things he sees or hears. 😂 It’s one of the things I admire about J.K. Rowling’s writing is how good she does in the books at describing things or people, in a manner to make it as if it were really coming from Harry’s perspective and thoughts. And a lot of the times they’re really funny thoughts.

[@lindacgrace2973]

I always thought it a shame that they took Ron's brilliance away. He did manage to beat Professor McGonagall at chess when he was only 11 years old! Also, in the Goblet of Fire, Michael Gambon ruined Dumbledore by shouting histrionically. Dumbledore is, essentially, the Dali Llama of the wizarding world. That NEVER happened in the book and I was sorely disappointed by the director and Gambon's butchering of Dumbledore's character.

[@melanievetter6211]

😊🎉🦁🏝

[@LouisTravieon]

Snape was SUCH a POS in the books, especially the first 3! Alan did an AMAZING job yes, but you're right, book Snape was sooo much more meaner and petty af. Students feared him because they knew damn well he was mean for the sake of it. Another one is Umbridge! Imelda did a beautiful job, but that's just it, she was too beautiful and too damn nice despite trying not to be. Dolores Umbridge HAS to be THE #1 most HATED character ever created that I have EVER read in my 30+ years of life... I've had to put book 5 down a few times because I wanted to reach through and strangle her! Voldemort? Not half as bad as Dolores... Edit: I will say the ONE actor that got it (IMO) 100% was Maggie Smith as McGonagall. The only thing i imagined a tad bit different because I'm an American, is I always pictured her anger and scoldings to be a lot more intense. Damn I wish the 5th movie would have put all of her and Umbridge's fights in it, made you LOVE Professor McGonagall even more in that book lol.