Jude Law is back for another round as Albus Dumbledore, the mightiest of wizards, in Friday’s “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the newest chapter in the “Fantastic Beasts” series spun from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe.
In the eight Potter films, Dumbledore — initially portrayed by Richard Harris in the first two films and after his death by Michael Gambon — is headmaster of Hogwarts, the wizarding school, and the prime antagonist of the evil Voldemort.
But “Fantastic Beasts” is a prequel, so Law’s Dumbledore isn’t exactly what has been previously seen, he said during a virtual press conference.
“It’s not a process of change, it’s more process of regression. One of the joys that David (Yates, the director of all the ‘Beasts’ films) allowed me was to investigate, rather than feel the weight of the brilliant performances of Richard Harris and Michael Gambon; he’s not really the fully formed Dumbledore of the Harry Potter books and films.
“He’s a man still finding his way, still confronting and resolving his demons. That’s what I mean by regression I suppose. This film particularly he’s facing his past, he’s facing himself and his own guilt.
“But if there were a quality that links him (to the Dumbledore we knew from the Harry Potters), I would say it’s his mischievousness, his humor and his belief in people. He sees the positive. He sees the potential good and that’s something he’s always had.”
As to what made him initially say yes to this youthful Dumbledore, Law, 49 and with a full beard that suggests he’s Mel Gibson’s cousin, laughed. “It was a no-brainer! I felt like I had been in preparation subconsciously when I started reading the books to my children” — he has four, now 25, 21, 19 and 12.
“There’s just so much in the character to mine and investigate as an actor. And that’s before you get into this extraordinary world of magic, that’s just him as a human.
“But the magic’s really fun too. I remember Eddie (Redmayne) telling me on the second film, which was the first one for me, if you have a problem with a scene, ‘Remember you’ve got magic at your disposal.’
"And there’s a scene in Berlin where I had to basically pass on information to the team. It went from being a scene where I was basically holding a map to a scene where I had a magic hat with things flying out. The excuse was: It’s magic! I get to do that.”
And he did.
———
(Jude Law stars in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” opening Friday in theaters only.)
