A professor who plays a major role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is despised by many fans. The actress talks about what it was like for her to play this role.
Who is it about? The British actress Imelda Staunton is particularly known for her portrayal of Dolores Jane Umbridge, one of the most hated and cruelest characters from Harry Potter.
In the Order of the Phoenix, she is sent to Hogwarts as the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts to solidify the Ministry of Magic’s control over the school. She stops at nothing and punishes students in sadistic ways to suppress them and reinforce her power.
The actress has spoken in interviews about how challenging it was for her to play the damn monster
Umbridge.
What does the actress say about her role as Umbridge? Imelda Staunton spoke in an interview with Entertainment Weekly about how much she detests Umbridge’s insidious nature. Even though she enjoyed playing the character.
She said the following about Dolores Jane Umbridge:
I think she is a damn monster and should be played that way. I don’t need to understand what she does, but in her character, she believes she is doing absolutely the best for this school. Once again, I have completely and utterly embraced a blind woman.
Imelda Staunton to Entertainment Weekly
A central aspect of Umbridge’s character that Staunton highlighted is her absolute conviction of being right. Umbridge sees herself as a protector of order and prosperity at Hogwarts, even though her methods are brutal and sadistic. Her polite demeanor, pink clothing, cat accessories, and her gentle voice are deceiving. Horror legend Stephen King even considers Dolores Umbridge to be the best villain character since Hannibal Lecter.
This scene haunted the actress for days afterwards
What scene is it about? One of the worst scenes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix particularly affected Imelda Staunton. In the scene, Umbridge forces Harry Potter to write I must not tell lies
with a magic quill, which painfully engraves itself into his hand.
About the scene, she said the following in the interview:
It touched something in me that made me think: ‘God, we are all capable of great cruelty.’ It was a horrible, terrible feeling. She doesn’t just twirl her mustache and say ‘Muahahaha’, but it is the absolute and unwavering belief that it will actually help, and that is, of course, much more terrifying.
Imelda Staunton to Entertainment Weekly
After this scene, she felt quite bad for a few days
. By the way, we have ranked the Hogwarts professors, including Dolores Umbridge. MyMMO author Linda Baumgartl reveals who she finds the most formidable: Harry Potter: Hogwarts professors in the power ranking – Which teacher is the most powerful?
