Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon Dursley)
Richard Griffiths, our favorite massive, purple-faced muggle, died in 2013, and honestly, his portrayal of Uncle Vernon was so perfect you almost felt bad for him. The actor once said he based the character on people who “hated fun”—so basically, your grumpy neighbor who yells at kids for playing Quidditch. He also starred in Withnail and I, proving he could go from muggle misery to drug-fueled hilarity with ease.
Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge)
Good old Robert Hardy, the Minister of Magic who couldn’t organize a wand sale in a wand shop, passed away at 91 in 2017. He was also a serious historian who wrote books about the longbow—so he could lecture you about medieval archery while looking flustered about dementors. That’s what we call a side hustle.
25 Harry Potter actors have now died | indy100
John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander)
Then there’s John Hurt, the wand-maker who looked like he’d seen everything—and in his career, he basically did (think Alien and The Elephant Man). He died in 2017, but his spooky, whispery voice still haunts our dreams: “The wand chooses the wizard…” And also chooses to make us cry.
Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy)
Let’s pour one out for Helen McCrory, who played the icy, fiercely maternal Narcissa Malfoy. She died far too young in 2026, but we’ll never forget her iconic lie to Voldemort—“He is dead!”—which saved Harry’s bacon. Off-screen, she was apparently a riot at parties, which is hilarious because you’d never guess it from her dead-eyed stares at Malfoy Manor.
