1. Alan Rickman (plays Severus Snape)
Every word, every syllable of every sentence was crafted almost as though Rickman were speaking in song. His carefully crafted speech contrasting with his absolute calm and composed visage was something I could never get enough of. Ultimately, Rickman was able to pull off a complex character: His elaborate affiliations with the Death Eaters, Harry’s mother, and Dumbledore all at the same time made Snape one of the best characters in the franchise, and Rickman made us love Snape character even more than we did after reading the novels.
2. Daniel Radcliffe (plays Harry Potter)
Not once in the entire series did I see Radcliffe overact. Very composed for such a young actor. And imagine the pressure Radcliffe must have been under to play the titular protagonist, especially as a child. Yet, Radcliffe pulled it off seamlessly. His subtle facial movements and expressions are something that I find impressive the more and more I watch the series. Despite having more screen time than any other character, he rarely made mistakes.
3. Michael Gambon (plays Albus Dumbledore)
I was really sad to see Richard Harris go, and I don’t even think Gambon did super great in the third and fourth films. However, Gambon’s acting in the sixth film as Dumbledore was approaching his death via Snape was sensational. When he said, “Severus, please” right before he got killed my heart literally stopped. Overall, Gambons acting from the 5th to 8th film was incredible. Dumbledore’s delicately polite resistance to the Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic required intricate acting. Suffice to say I was impressed with Dumbledore #2.
4. Rupert Grint (plays Ronald Weasley)
Grint was definitely the best actor as a child (tied with Felton) but I think Radcliffe bypassed him in the later films. However, I found his character very lovable and entertaining. While Grint’s acting is easy to take for granted, films heavily relied on Grint being a decent actor, and he was. Ron was one of my favorite characters in the francise, and Grint’s wide-ranging performance did Ron Weasley justice.
5. Tom Felton (plays Draco Malfoy)
In my opinion, Felton tied Grint as best actor as a child. Felton’s Malfoy was spectacularly sinister. I mean, when’s the last time you saw an eleven year-old play a genuinely evil character? It was great. As the films went on, Felton’s Draco Malfoy evolved into a more vulnerable character. Thus, we get to see some of Felton’s unexpected versatility.
6. Ralph Fiennes (plays Tom Riddle/Voldemort)
As with Felton, I find it impressive for an actor who plays a character who is genuinely evil. Unlike Malfoy, however, Voldemort is pure evil, which, in my opinion, makes it even harder to portray his character. Pure evil people in real life rarely even exist. Imagine how hard it must be to portray a character that you would never even see in real life. Yet, Fiennes did it, and he did it very well. Yes, he may have overacted a little bit every now and then, which puts him behind Felton, but I think we can forgive him. His general aura would send a shiver down my spine. A perfect foil to Gambon’s Dumbledore and a worthy enemy of Radcliffe’s Harry Potter.
7. Matthew Lewis (plays Neville Longbottom)
Lewis’s Longbottom left an impression on me. First of all, Neville Longbottom is one of my favorite characters, and if you can do a decent job with such a great character, you are already on my good side. Lewis gave Longbottom subtle mannerisms that made him pathetic, yet truly lovable. Lewis was able to portray a character who is timid yet bold at the same time. That look on Lewis’s face when his character earned the final ten points for Gryffindor at the end of the first film was probably one of my all time favorite moments in the series.
8. Kenneth Branagh (plays Gilderoy Lockhart)
Gilderoy Lockhart is the funniest character in Harry Potter. He’s the only one who could make me laugh out loud, and you get points for that. Branagh’s character is consistently lovable and entertaining. Branagh nails every one of Lockhart’s emotions, from proud and goofy to dark and undignified. Overall, a great portrayal of a fantastic character.
Honorable Mentions:
The following actors I wouldn’t say display extraordinary acting ability, but I am extremely fond of their characters.
1. Robbie Coltrane (plays Hagrid)
Just seeing Hagrid warms my heart. He is a figure of my childhood, essentially. If you look at the subtitles while watching the film, you’ll notice that Coltrane does a lot of ad-libbing, which is ballsy. It shows that Coltrane had a really good grasp of Hagrid’s character, and as an audience member I appreciated it. However, he doesn’t make my list due to his lack of versatility.
2. Richard Harris (plays Dumbledore)
Harris’s performance inspired Ian McKellen to call him “Dumble-bore”. However, Harris’s portrayal of Dumbledore as a rather terse, but wise, old man was very convincing. If you think about it, that’s just what most old men are: terse and wise. Harris’s Dumbledore was a character, who if I knew in real life, someone I would look up to and listen to. He had this warm aura about him.
3. Emma Watson (plays Hermione)
Emma Watson’s Hermione was adorable in the first two films, and a convincing best friend to Harry in the remaining ones. She experiences a wide range of emotions throughout the films, and doesn’t do terribly with it. Watson’s acting wasn’t top tier, but she did okay with great responsibility that she had. As one of the main three characters, she grows on you.