Jason Isaacs Didn’t Initially Audition for Lucius Malfoy and Would Return to “Harry Potter” in an Instant

Jason Isaacs, whom most Harry Potter fans will always remember as the cunning Lucius Malfoy, has revealed that if he were ever presented with the chance to star in another Harry Potter film, he would do so within an instant.

In an interview with the Sun, the 55-year-old actor revealed that if he received the script for a new Potter film, he would shoot the movie without hesitation. He also revealed something interesting about his audition for the Harry Potter films. It turns out that Isaacs wasn’t even interested in playing the role of Lucius Malfoy. He went to audition for the role of Gilderoy Lockhart – which in the end was played by Sir Kenneth Branagh – but then got asked to read for another role instead.

I didn’t audition for Lucius; I auditioned for Gilderoy Lockhart. I was mightily p***ed off when they asked me, ‘Would I mind reading for a different part?’

The reason Isaacs had no interest in playing Lucius was because he was already about to play Captain Hook in Peter Pan, and as he put it, he didn’t want to play the role of two children’s villains. He went on to read for the part of Lucious Malfoy nonetheless and then went home, not at all happy with the way things had turned out.

Isaacs’ agent encouraged him to think things through, but he stood his ground.

I said, ‘No I don’t want to think about it. It’s fun and lovely and flattering, but I am not playing two children’s villains.’

Isaacs’ attempt to elude the role was met with much resistance from those closest to him, who tirelessly tried to convince him to take on the part of Lucius.

Over the weekend, everybody I knew called me: nieces, nephews, godchildren, and then the parents. They all tried to persuade me to take the job, not because they cared about me but because they wanted to visit the set. So I took the job and thank God I did!

It is hard to imagine anyone else but Isaacs playing the role of Lucious Malfoy, but it is quite funny to imagine him in the role of Gilderoy Lockhart, swinging his wand aimlessly and having no idea how to control some Cornish pixies.