Summary
- Warwick Davis replaced Verne Troyer as Griphook in the Harry Potter series to ensure the character had a British voice, as per J.K. Rowling’s rule of casting only British actors.
- Troyer’s recasting may also have been influenced by negative publicity he faced, including battles with alcoholism and legal issues, which affected his portrayal of Griphook.
- Warwick Davis, known for his roles in various franchises like Star Wars, brought depth to the character of Griphook and embraced the opportunity to explore a darker, more multi-layered role than his previous character, Professor Flitwick.
When the Verne Troyer Harry Potter role of Griphook was recast, it caused a lot of fans to wonder why. When Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone arrived in 2001, it created a franchise that would dominate the box office over the next decade. Audiences also got to see stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint grow up onscreen as their characters did. One big rule that dominated the casting for the Harry Potter series was that the majority of roles be played by either British or Irish actors. A rare exception was made for the part of Griphook in Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Griphook is a goblin working for Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who is played in the 2001 movie by the late Verne Troyer. Troyer was an American actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the second and third Austin Powers movies, but while he did play Griphook in the first film, the character’s voice was provided by co-star Warwick Davis. Griphook ended up with a more prominent role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, which is one of the reasons Davis ended up replacing Verne Troyer in the Harry Potter cast.
Verne Troyer’s Recasting Could Be Down To Negative Publicity
While casting Warwick Davis and replacing the Verne Troyer Harry Potter role might have been good for convenience, it wasn’t the only reason for the Harry Potter recasting. It was part of the reason Davis voiced the character, so Griphook would have a British voice and not Troyer’s higher-pitched American voice. Casting Davis as the goblin was a way to make it easier. J.K. Rowling had a rule in place that said only British actors could appear in the movies, and the only exceptions that director Chris Columbus made to that rule were Troyer and a small non-speaking role for Columbus’ daughter as a Hufflepuff student.
That changed with the later movies when David Yates decided he wanted Davis to play Griphook and Charms Professor Filius Flitwick in the later movies. On top of the ease of using the same actor for the voice role and the actual character, there is also the fact that Troyer was facing negative publicity over the years after appearing in Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone. He battled alcoholism and almost died of alcohol poisoning in 2002 – one year after he played Griphook (via THR). The bad press began flowing in after that, including an embarrassing moment on The Surreal Life and a girlfriend who placed a restraining order against him.
“That was a bad period in my life. I’ve learned from it, and I move on,” Troyer said in 2016. Sadly, by that time he had lost his role as Griphook and the Verne Troyer Harry Potter role ended up recast. Troyer ended up dying two years after that interview, with his death ruled by suicide (via The Guardian).
Warwick Davis Played Many Harry Potter Characters
Warwick Davis recurred throughout the Harry Potter movies as Professor Filius Flitwick, but in addition to voicing Griphook in The Sorceror’s Stone, he played a Goblin Bank Teller too. Davis has been involved with many franchises which has made him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. For instance, he’s played many roles throughout the Star Wars franchise, including acting as Yoda for some shots in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He also made a long-awaited return to the Willow saga with the Disney+ sequel series. When it came to replacing Verne Troyer in Harry Potter, he seemed up to the task (via Looper).
“Griphook has so much more depth to him than I’ve ever been able to get into my work as Professor Flitwick. I suppose I’m stretching my acting muscles a little bit farther than I have been able to in previous films because he’s a very much darker character and quite a multi-layered character.”
Davis even had his own horror franchise with Leprechaun, where he played the titular villain for six entries, ending his involvement following 2003’s Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood. While it’s a shame Verne Troyer wasn’t really given a chance to show what he could do in the Griphook role, Warwick Davis helped give depth to the role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
