Who Played Grindelwald? Exploring the Actors Behind the Dark Wizard

There's more than meets the eye in the Harry Potter franchise. It may look like one wizard in Gellert Grindelwald!

But who’s really behind those grand schemes? While Grindelwald may be a huge, infamous name across the whole universe! The list of actors to bring this wizard to the screen has changed from the initial installment. Some played the role over multiple appearances and there's an interesting and diverse list!

Meet The Actors Of Grindelwald

If you're looking to uncover more than meets the eye when you get back to the Wizarding World, it turns out that Grindelwald really had his impact! The main character has appeared, in both Harry Potter films and its spinoff series "Fantastic Beasts!". Each person brought a whole new approach. In fact, it is said that these acts helped create a variety of Grindelwald's, showing a dark, sinister, and formidable figure in the "Wizarding World".

Jaime Campbell Bower

A name everyone knows. In fact, Bower is known as the actor who gave the character a big break and remains the longest-running player, appearing over multiple films. You will likely recognize this actor if you have seen "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1" or even "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald!" It turns out the series wasn't his first experience. He was a character you see on a screen but never spoke his part in the Harry Potter series!

His initial, quiet debut came in "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1", where we see Bower in some flashbacks as a younger, more cunning and less powerful version of Grindelwald.
His time on screen in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," was a bigger moment. Here he was still seen in flashbacks. As he shared those scenes in this film. The character also had some interesting, iconic moments with a young "Dumbledore" who was still developing those powerful, heroic aspects of his persona. In these key scenes with Dumbledore, we really got a better feel for how the two wizards got intertwined!
What makes it so important is that these scenes brought more understanding of what they were capable of and what their feelings really were toward each other. Bower's depiction of Grindelwald may have also changed how you've viewed this powerful, but rather dangerous wizard, too. You get a sneak peek! It’s pretty apparent from this character's persona. With different eyes, adding a little something more to the persona and showing more complexities, of what made this wizard dangerous!

Michael Byrne

As a well-known and seasoned performer! The "Harry Potter" movies needed this amazing character. That’s when Michael Byrne made his mark. This great actor came in as an older "Grindelwald" with an appearance, giving Grindelwald a really different look and presence. What stood out in the "Harry Potter" films, was this scene where Voldemort needed to talk to him! That’s right, there is this scene where Grindelwald gives "Voldemort" a unique insight and even throws him off, and a lot of those things aren't really shown in the "Fantastic Beasts" series!

Colin Farrell

"Colin Farrell" might be a name you will recognize from so many different movies, he's known as one of the most well-respected actors, in a genre of work.

The interesting twist? Farrell actually appears in the very first "Fantastic Beasts" series film: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," however! What makes this really interesting. In "Fantastic Beasts," we didn’t even realize he was playing "Grindelwald," from the first time we see this character, it’s through another name!

In an incredible twist, we find out that Farrell had been a person that could really show up and make the series something quite interesting! You really won't believe how he plays it and he's been around in the entertainment world! With that big star power!

Johnny Depp

Another one of those characters! You see "Johnny Depp," with many famous roles and even a couple of awards! Depp was at the forefront for a good, long time.

We can't forget this actor who joined "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" as the big bad character and really delivered some strong performances!
It's a great set piece for this powerful actor who really made "Grindelwald one of the series most compelling villain figures! It may have taken a while. However, there were some real life incidents with Depp that made him depart from the franchise, and some felt that "Grindelwald' performance felt a little too repetitive like those from other performances.
For a brief moment, the role had even more to give!
Depp helped to give us more details, a kind of sneak peek of what a great villain this was and even added Grindelwald's dark side and how this Wizarding World was always under his control. But he left in a rather sad and abrupt way.

Mads Mikkelsen

Another great actor! One that really had an incredible challenge ahead of them was Mads Mikkelsen and after the departure of Johnny Depp, Mikkelsen came to the franchise, ready for something epic. He came in a a bit more subtle style of performance, giving us the feeling that there's even more depth and danger for the audience.

In this time of playing "Grindelwald he brought out some real iconic elements, adding to the complexity, even if it might have felt different to other adaptations that made fans love these films! You will likely notice Mikkelsen who was a real star, with a role in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and had a good relationship with "Dumbledore." This movie had an immense influence from fans. Many LGBTQ+ fans really enjoyed that they were showing a more real-life take, which they'd been wanting to see for some time.

It turned out this change also may have been a bit too late as many fans were unsure what to do next.

How Does It All Come Together

It really is amazing that "Grindelwald, as a powerful figure is depicted by so many talents over such a long time!

There's an argument for both sides: to some it may feel that this casting is unique and a part of a story about this wizard and to others it may feel a little too different. The one big take away? With such a long-running franchise as "Harry Potter" and its companion series "Fantastic Beasts," there's something incredibly magical about those series! And one way they brought the story to life. Each iteration helped show a complex, dark, and mesmerizing, mysterious character. Fans that get hooked on these characters and this powerful world will keep wanting more!