Kenneth Branagh Says Self-Absorbed “Harry Potter” Character Was a ‘Fascinating Subject’ to Play (Exclusive)
Kenneth Branagh Says Self-Absorbed “Harry Potter” Character Was a ‘Fascinating Subject’ to Play (Exclusive)
Meredith Wilshere, Lizzie HymanSat, September 5, 2026 at 6:59 PM UTC
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Kenneth Branagh in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’Credit: Everett -
Kenneth Branagh joined the Harry Potter franchise in 2002, playing the self-absorbed Professor Gilderoy Lockhart
He reflects on the series’ global impact and the excitement it sparked among readers of all ages
Branagh cherishes working with legendary actors like Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith during filming
Kenneth Branagh knew Harry Potter was a success when he signed on to the project in the early 2000s, but he didn’t expect it to have such staying power decades later.
While catching up with PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of Mayday on Sept. 1, Branagh, 65, reflects on the moment the book-turned-movie franchise first popped onto his radar.
“I don’t have kids, but I had friends who had kids who, when the books were being published, would say, ‘We queued up to be at the bookshop when it opened at midnight for those books to be published, and then my 12-year-old spent two days reading it from start to finish,’” he remembers.
The first film came out in 2001, followed by 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which Branagh played Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. By the final movie in 2011, it had become one of the most successful movie franchises in history.
Kenneth Branagh in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’Credit: Everett
“That interest, that engagement with imaginations young and old, is incredible, and I was lucky to play a character who, with an autobiographical title like Magical Me, was very, very, very absorbed with himself and made himself a fascinating subject, so he thought,” Branagh adds.
While Branagh only played the narcissistic and imaginative professor in one movie, the role has stayed with him throughout his career.
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He tells PEOPLE that “it’s always been an amazement to understand the way in which the story and the characters have gripped the imagination of such a large public.”
Kenneth BranaghCredit: Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV via Getty
When asked if he still keeps in touch with any of his costars from the movie, the Belfast actor shares that “the world is wide and everybody’s gone on and done their various things.”
“I feel as though it was a beautiful moment in my life where I had a chance to play a part,” Branagh says.
Still, while reflecting back on filming the movie, he shares that what “sticks in my mind” was the chance to work with late actors Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith.
“All gathered now, but with whom I had some magical times and from whom I learned a great deal,” Branagh shares.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
