We Could've Had Jamie Campbell Bower as Harry Potter, But a Dirty Joke Ruined Everything

The road to success in the entertainment industry is not always smooth, and there are times when actors have to face rejection.

Sometimes, it's because of luck, and other times, well, because of an inappropriate joke that didn't land - and that's exactly what happened to Jamie Campbell Bower when he auditioned for the role of Harry Potter.

Jamie Campbell Bower has achieved notable success in his acting career, with appearances in several popular films and TV shows, including The Twilight Saga and, more recently, Stranger Things in the role of Vecna. But before Bower became a well-known name, one of the earliest roles he contended for was the Boy Who Lived in the hugely popular Harry Potter franchise. However, as he disclosed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, it didn't quite go as planned.

According to Bower's recollections, when he met with director Chris Columbus for the opening installment of the film series, he was tasked with preparing a joke. Unfortunately, the one he decided to deliver wasn't the best choice.

'I had just heard this joke about a fairy, like the reason why the fairy sits on top of the Christmas tree, and it's a really, like, dirty joke because it's about the Christmas tree up somebody's bottom,' he explained.

Without thinking twice, the actor went ahead and shared the anecdote during his audition. But as soon as it got to the punchline, it dawned on him that he had made a mistake.

'There was again, this sort of air of just like silence after I said it. And I was like, 'Well... f**ked that up,'' he recalled.

We can't know for sure whether this humorous mishap was the only factor that led to him not securing the part, but it certainly didn't improve his chances. But although the role was ultimately given to Daniel Radcliffe, Bower had a stroke of fortune as he ended up portraying the young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

It's difficult to picture anyone other than Radcliffe as the widely beloved Harry Potter, and it's impossible to know how things would've been. Still, it's interesting to think about the road not taken. And who knows? Maybe one day we'll get to see him play a wizard after all, despite the dirty jokes.

Source: Happy Sad Confused podcast.