Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/9/17/actor-jim-broadbent-i-am-horace-slughorn

Actor Jim Broadbent: I am Horace Slughorn in the New "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Film
HBP Film
Posted by: Sue
September 17, 2007, 11:36 AM

In an exclusive interview with our friend Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons, actor Jim Broadbent confirms that he has been cast in the role of new Potions Master Horace Slughorn for the upcoming “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” film.

The actor, who says he has read the Harry Potter books, confirms he will play the pivotal character in the sixth Harry Potter film which is in rehearsals this week and is set to begin filming shortly. Jim Broadbent, best known for his roles in “Moulin Rouge,” the “Bridget Jones” films, and for his Academy Award winning role in “Iris” says the following:

Who are you?

Broadbent: Who am I? He’s called Horace Slughorn. He’s a retired teacher of magic who’s drawn back out of retirement because he’s got some secrets they need in the battle against the Deatheaters and he’s quite star struck as a teacher and he’s drawn back into the fold because he likes to notch up celebrity students, and he’s drawn back by Harry.

Question: Is he a comic character?

Broadbent: He is quite a comic character, yes. I haven’t started yet. I’ve had endless costume fittings and makeup and …

Question: What kind of costumes?

Broadbent: Tweedy sort of things with a bit of padding. He’s an older man, I’m aging up again.

UPDATE: You can see some additional photos of the actor here in our galleries. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince “is due for release November 21, 2008.

Thanks much to Dark Horizons and to Cameron for the heads up!

I myself am very happy with this. The man looks the part and further more is a brilliant actor, that is more than capable of doing this role. I have very high hopes for this.

I'm so glad he's read the books! I think he'll be perfect!

now aint that just dandy. that is EXACTLY how i pictured slughorn to look! I think he'll do a great job. He was good in Narnia. I'm excited, really excited. Yes it is an upside that he reads the books. Now we won't have anyone come in and completely ruin the character!

I have to agree, he's more than capable and he really looks the part!

Excellent choice, I adore him as an actor ever since I saw The Borrowers and Iris.

The guy is perfect.

I was think Stpephen Fry as Slughorn, but well, this choise is just perfect.

And it seems we will have another funny proffesor at Hogwarts XDD:lol::lol:

I think he'll be great, but I was hoping for Albert Finney.

An excellent choice.

It is even more important that they are going to emphasize Harry getting Sluggy to choose love of Lily over fear of Voldemort. That is an important part of the story. Stilll, Broadbent should do a convincing job (with good direction, of course) of communicating this.

That's a really good choice for Slughorn, Jim Broadbent is a brilliant comedy actor! And basically Slughorn is funny so Broadbent will definitely do the character justice :clap:

Sweet! This guy's funny.

I absolutely love this choice. Ever since Moulin Rouge, I have respected him immensely (he played Zidler). He'll do such a great job. And he looks almost exactly as I imagined Slughorn (though add a moustache and a bit more of a belly ;)). Ahh, I can't wait for HBP. I can tell it will be fantastic already.

I'm not sure about this. Jim Broadbent is a great actor and his facial features look good to play Slughorn, but I always imagined Slughorn to be quite small in height and isn't Jim Broadbent quite tall, or am i getting confused??
Also, since watching that episode of Friday Night with Jonathen Ross when JK Rowling was on it last with Bob Hoskins, for some reason I'd imagined him in the role! lol!:lol:

Jim Broadbent! great . Just put him in a fat suit and he will be perfect :)

He's not actaully what I had in mind, but now I picture it, I think Jim Broadbent will be excellent! A fine choice! :D

This is an excellent choice. Jim is a very good actor and I always pictured Slughorn as a Zidler-type man.

This is an excellent choice. Jim is a very good actor and I always pictured Slughorn as a Zidler-type man.Yup, Zidler had the 'Slughorn shiny cheeks' type look, at least what I saw in my minds eye :p

MOFG! Jim! Jim looks EXCACTLY like the Slug man! Can't wait too see Jim in action: "Dumbledore has showed you that memory...!"

Excellent choice! :rockon:Mr. Broadbent sure likes his franchises! (having done Narnia and now filming Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the chrystal skulls). Best not forget the good man won on oscar for his part in the film:" Iris" (with Judi Dench).:tu:

He isn't exactly as i pictured Slughorn but he comes pretty close! I think he's gonna be great in the film but i should reserve (is that the right word to use?) my judgement untill i've seen him in action

I pictured Slughorn to be fatter (similar figure to Dursle), but i LOVE Broadbent, he is a great actor with awesome range, and I think he can pull of the congenial (but always looking out for number 1!) attitude of Sluggie. He will do great.

Outstanding choice! Jim Broadbent is a fine actor and it sounds already he's got a good handle on Slughorn.

I like him. I think he's a good actor and will bring an intersting take on Slughorn.

Another Comic Strip alumnus.

I think they made the right choice. I'd be interested to see how short they make him look. Can't wait!!

Broadbent will be great. He was the professor in Narnia. Cant wait to see him in HBP

Had no idea who Jim Broadbent was, but then I found out he was in Moulin Rouge. Perfect. I think he'll be great. He can obviously do over-the-top very well.

Brilliant! Jim Broadbent is exactly the man I wanted to be cast - I can't believe they've actuallly chosen him! I thought Moulin Rouge was a bit patchy in quality, but Broadbent was perfect in each of his scenes.

If anyone's interested, he was in Iris, Bridget Jones' Diary and Topsy Turvy as well.

I agree I think he's going to be good in this role granted yes he's a bit taller than I imagined. But the roundness of his face and that fact that he is a talented actor will make up for that.I cant wait to see who else they'll cast.

Judging by his turn in Hot Fuzz I think he will do the role justice

However, I believe that Ian McNeice would have been better, not the least in similitude to the print character

I have decided not to judge him right now. Like i did with Evanna Lynch as Luna, i'm going to wait until i see him acting in the role. I don't feel as though OMG he looks really bad, but i'm not OMG he looks perfect at the moment. probably because he's not in the costume, etc although he is a good actor and does have some of the features i would expect slughorn to have. If he was chosen he must be good, but i'm happy with it at the moment. I will wait to see him act in the role first. He seems ot be a veyr good actor though, i am pretty excited to see him in the role but i don't like to judge on the role i haven't seen yet :D

I think he'll be fantastic! I love him as Ziddler in Moulin Rouge, and it's the same kind of over-the-top character who likes to rub with the rich and famous. And I didn't realize he was the professor in Narnia, but that just makes me even more excited!!

I'm really looking forward to seeing Jim Broadbent as Slughorn, he'll be really brilliant.

I didn't realize he was in Moulin Rouge! Very energetic! (or was that just the camera?). He was excellent in Babe & Hot Fuzz (never saw Iris).

I think he's a great choice! Any photos released of him in character yet?

I almost cried when I saw Broadbent had been cast as Slughorn. Out of happiness of course!
He was the only person I would have accepted to play the part. He's who I invisioned from the very beginning!
I know he'll do the role justice.

he was in Hot Fuzz? Who? I have absolutely no idea who Jim Broadbent is, i've probably seen him in films with out realising it

He was the dad in Hot Fuzz. I can't remember his name. The police officer.

:relax:He was also Bridget Jones's father and Professor Kirke in The Chronicles of Narnia and Zidler in Moulin Rouge and may 22d he can be seen as a Yale professor in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull

Had no idea who Jim Broadbent was, but then I found out he was in Moulin Rouge. Perfect. I think he'll be great. He can obviously do over-the-top very well.

I just saw Moulin Rouge over the weekend, and I couldn't believe that was him. But he's brilliant, and some of his expressions were certainly ones that match Slughorn's very well. I love his hugely round blue eyes... he'll do a stupendous job.

I think that he'll br brilliant as Slughorn. I first saw him in Moulin Rouge.

The only thing I've seen him in is Narnia, but I'm sure he'll do a great job.

Awesome casting. He is Slughorn! :clap:

im sure he'll be great but i pictured him a big almost bald fat(er) guy with a big mustache. i just had this picture of him in my mind and this is soooo different but i no hes a good actor so i bet he will do great

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed that Slughorn looks more or less like Jim Broadbent. Broadbent has a history of wacky appearances and I imagined Slughorn as a cross between Zidler from "Moulin Rouge", Gilbert from "Topsy Turvy", and Boss Tweed from "Gangs of New York". I expected Broadbent to put on a fat suit and don mutton chops or something. Instead, he didn't seem to care all that much. :(

I'm really excited to see Jim Broadbent in a Harry Potter movie. I think he is going to do amazing because he is such an amazing actor. But I was kind of expecting more of a bigger Slughorn, how he was mentioned in the book. I can't wait though.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed that Slughorn looks more or less like Jim Broadbent. Broadbent has a history of wacky appearances and I imagined Slughorn as a cross between Zidler from "Moulin Rouge", Gilbert from "Topsy Turvy", and Boss Tweed from "Gangs of New York". I expected Broadbent to put on a fat suit and don mutton chops or something. Instead, he didn't seem to care all that much. :(

I think that the way Broadbent looks as Slughorn is due to the vision of the director and not so much the choice of the actor. If he acts the part well, personally it doesn't matter much to me if he looks like how Slughorn is described in the book. Loads of characters look different from the books.

They are attempting to exploit the tragedy in this character, rather than the comedy - and his appearance in the book is quite comedic, and so in order to enhance the seriousness of him, they have toned down his look (for the better, in my opinion).

I'm actually glad they toned down his appearance for the film. It would indeed have been too comedic for the seriousness of the film. Not that a little comedic relief isn't a good thing, but I'm glad they went in another direction.

i definitely pictured Horace to be much shorter and fatter. if only they could have found someone to mirror the illustration in the book haha then it would be perfect! i'm sure that Jim Broadbent will do a great job though, i have faith in him to pull off ol sluggy quite well!

I only know him from Chronicles of Narnia, but I think he looks pretty "Sluggish" to me! ;) I think he'll do fine. :)

It all depends on how he acts in the role. The look while not canon still looks pretty interesting. It all depends on how he plays the character. Hopefully we'll get a glimpse of him in this role in a future trailer.

I think we can all agree that the majority of the characters in the movies look nothing like they should, based on the book. So Slughorn looking different shouldn't surprise us.
I think Broadbent will take on the character with great ease. He's a great actor and we should be thankful they've cast someone as good as him.

Originally Posted by ShiftyEyes
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed that Slughorn looks more or less like Jim Broadbent. Broadbent has a history of wacky appearances and I imagined Slughorn as a cross between Zidler from "Moulin Rouge", Gilbert from "Topsy Turvy", and Boss Tweed from "Gangs of New York". I expected Broadbent to put on a fat suit and don mutton chops or something. Instead, he didn't seem to care all that much.

I agree. I do think his look screams moulin rouge but hopefully his acting will prove otherwise. I pictured him more 'bristley' and more walrus-like with a fat suit on but we'll see. If we get the scene with Hagrid and Slughorn getting drunk, that's when he needs to shine because Slughorn isn't a tricky character to figure out.

I hope he does well, if he's read the books I'm sure he'll be great :) :tu:

Jim broadbent is Horace Slughorn. I'm actually glad to hear that he's read the books, I think that will make him aware of his role and help him impersonate Slughorn even more.

Jim Broadbent looks exactly like I imagined Slughorn (except in my head he is a bit fatter).We can't say how good he will be in the movie yet, but I agree, it is good that he has read the books. Then he knows more about what Slughorn is like, and will be able to do a better performance.

I guess he looks the part. I've never seen Broadbent in anything so I'm not sure about his acting.

Jim Broadbent is a great actor and I'm sure he'll do a good job. I'm a bit disappointed in his look, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. It will be interesting to see how big or small a role they give Horace Slughorn in the movies. I could see it going either way.

I just wish he were a little chubbier. I'm sure he'll do the part justice acting-wise - that's not a concern, he's a terrific actor. But as for the folks saying that translating his image from book to film too exactly would tone down the seriousness of the story - I disagree. He was a slightly comedic and ridiculous character in the book, but that didn't do anything to dampen the tone overall. I don't see why the film should be any different.

I think Jim Broadbent's an amazing actor, I loved him in 'The Borrowers' and 'Moulin Rouge' and I really hope he's just as good as Slughorn. When I found out he had the part, I was really excited because I really respect him as an actor and I haven't seen him in many films lately and HP is definitley one I have to watch!

He definitely looks the part! I just hope he can act it too! We'll just wait and see

".......an enormously fat, bald old man.....shiny pate, prominent eyes, his enormous walrus like moustache...."

the only thing the Jim B has out of that lot is "man". Slughorn loves eating and indulging and comes across as very greedy in the books.
While many characters are not quite like their acting counterparts, the movie Slughorn already feels very different, a different character altogether. Watching the trailer has confirmed this feeling.
Shame Richard Griffith played Vernon as he had the right proportions to pull off a Slughorn

When they cast the movies, one of the things I worry least about is how the characters meet JKR's descriptions. If they are a completely different person, then I might get annoyed (like Flitwick) but Slughorn is still an old man, and I don't think it matters drastically that he's not fat and bald. I don't think we can draw any conclusions about him just from a couple of trailers. As long as he is the same bumbling, power-seeking guy from the book I don't have a problem. Because I do have a problem when they change someone's personality drastically from what it's supposed to be (Ron and Hermione).

I think I like him. His voice isn't exactly the voice I had for Slughorn but it fits in some odd way (Although I've only heard the little bit from the trailer)

He seems to be a good Slughorn though. I honestly haven't been to disappointed with the casting so I'm sure I'll like him.

is it just me or is Broadbent not the way u pictured Slughorn to be from the books???...i always pictured a small, rather chubby man, with a huge moustache that dominates an extremely friendly face! :lol: and i always pictured him to be going bald :lol: ...from what ive seen of HbP, he just doesnt make me think of Slughorn...i think he resembles Cornelius Fudge more...however im willing to give him a chance, he cant be worse than Gambon:whistle:

I can't believe Broadbent's performance hasn't become a topic of conversation yet! His performance was one of my favorite parts of the film!

Personally, I love the way that he chose to play the character. In the books, Slughorn came off as more pompous and irritating than anything else, but I think Broadbent really took the part he was given and put his own new twist in it. I love how Slughorn came across as more of a tragic character with whom the audience sympathized instead of an irritating trophy-hunter; it made it seem like he might actually care about some of the students he was "collecting" instead of regarding them as possessions to be won.

His voice isn't exactly the voice I had for Slughorn but it fits in some odd wayThat is what I thought after my first viewing of HBP. I think he played it very well.

I hadn't bothered looking up Broadbent for Slughorn so i never had a chance to be disappointed by his looks but when i first saw him, i thought "What the heck were the filmmakers thinking?!?!" And then he started acting :lol:. He looks nowhere near how i imagined slughorn, but he truly brought slughorn to life. They could not have chosen a better actor

I hadn't bothered looking up Broadbent for Slughorn so i never had a chance to be disappointed by his looks but when i first saw him, i thought "What the heck were the filmmakers thinking?!?!" And then he started acting :lol:. He looks nowhere near how i imagined slughorn, but he truly brought slughorn to life. They could not have chosen a better actor

Agreed.

The only two things I saw Broadbent in were Indiana Jones and Moulin Rouge, both completely different from Horace Slughorn. I really didn't know what to expect, and from the stills that were released, I expected to be disappointed. So glad I was so wrong on such a big scale. His best scene for me was Aragog's funeral and giving Harry the memory.

The only two things I saw Broadbent in were Indiana Jones and Moulin Rouge, both completely different from Horace Slughorn. I really didn't know what to expect, and from the stills that were released, I expected to be disappointed. So glad I was so wrong on such a big scale. His best scene for me was Aragog's funeral and giving Harry the memory.
That surprises me a bit because the only movie in which I've seen Broadbent is Moulin Rouge, and only having that to go on, I thought he was going to be fabulous. I completely agree that the memory scene was one of the best. It was actually one of my favorites in the entire movie; Broadbent really played the emotions well, and the little anecdote the writers added about Lily made it all the more powerful.

I agree with everyone that Broadbent didn't look much like the Slughorn from the books (Why didn't they at least put the mustache on him??), but he pulled it off so well!

I liked him in Indiana Jones even though he only had a brief part. I wish they made Slughorn look more like he was described in the book though. I wanted that short round looking man hiding in the chair. Haha. xD

Broadbent was perfect as Slughorn! I have no complaints about him in this role what so ever. Amazing performance!

I suppose I never had a very clear picture of Slughorn, so I was never disapointed by stills or casting. I think he did a fabulous job portraying Slughorn, his personality was exactly how I imagined it. I found that I actually liked his character more than the one in the book.

I agree that he was simply brilliant. His mannerisms weren't quite how I was picturing they would be but the effect was very much as I thought it'd be. Great job by him!

Jim Broadbent has put in one of my favourite performances of the whole franchise. He doesn't fit the image of Slughorn that I have in my head but he completely made the character his own. He did the comedy extremely well but still managed to imbue Slughorn with a real sense of regret and sadness.

I never particularly enjoyed Slughorn in the book but Broadbents performance in the film i just loved how he portrayed Slughorn! It was fantastic, brilliant casting choice.

Slughorn didn't look as I imagined, but I've never cared about that because it's just another interpretation, its actually quite interesting when they look different to how they are in your imagination.
I saw Broadbent in a few movies before and new he was just a great actor, so I was looking forward to him being in HP; I wasn't disappointed.
I thought he was particually great in the Felix scene, when he's clipping the plants through the greenhouse window, and the monologue before he gives Harry the memory "Dont think bad of me when you see this..." etc. It got me all teary.

He was brilliant. He got all the layers of Slughorn: a bit greedy, and bit weak, a good heart. I LOVED him (and Dan Radcliffe, to be honest) in the Felix Felicis scene. He didn't 'look" like Slughorn but it didn't matter at all. Snaps for Jim!

I hadn't bothered looking up Broadbent for Slughorn so i never had a chance to be disappointed by his looks but when i first saw him, i thought "What the heck were the filmmakers thinking?!?!" And then he started acting . He looks nowhere near how i imagined slughorn, but he truly brought slughorn to life. They could not have chosen a better actor
Exactly how I felt. On seeing him I was all ready to say he was the completely wrong choice but when he started acting in my opinion he turned out to be the perfect Slughorn.

I thought Jim Broadbent did a perfect job as Slughorn, he was exactly as I thought he should be with all his quirkiness and great facial expression I thought he nailed what in my eyes Slughorn should act like... my only complaint was the amount of times he said Merlins beard. But that is my only tiny complaint

Jim Broadbent is an outstanding actor and I enjoyed his performance very much, however he was not the Slughorn I imagined when I read the book. The actor I saw in my head whilst reading was Matt Lucas from Little Britain. He would have been perfect; his looks and comedic talent would have brought so much more to the role. Broadbent's portrayal lacked the flamboyance - there was a distinct lack of colour in both his personality and his clothes. In a movie that was so very dark a bit of contrasting colour would of been most welcome, as it was in the book.

Jim did a really good job but I was gravely disappointed by the adaptation of his role in the movie. The part where Harry says in the book," Wouldn't you want to help Lily's son!" or something along those lines is my favorite and one of the most poignant moments of the book. Other parts were ok but I hoped that they wouldn't edit my favorite scenes from the book.

Jim did well. He was perhaps a little low-key as compared to the book Slughorn but if you left the book out of the equation, he managed to capture the character on most grounds. The scene between Slughorn and Tom Riddle is one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

I haven't see the movie yet, I hope he does fine :)

Broadbent was hands up my favorite part of the film. He was funny, quirky, interesting, and sort of unsettling.

Jim was great! I was surprised at how convincing he sounded, especially when he and Harry first meet in the beginning.

Anyhow, I do think he is MUCH, MUCH more different than how I imagined him in the books! "A walrus" is how I really imagined Horace, but Jim can pass, I suppose. :lol:

Jim was great! I was surprised at how convincing he sounded, especially when he and Harry first meet in the beginning.

Anyhow, I do think he is MUCH, MUCH more different than how I imagined him in the books! "A walrus" is how I really imagined Horace, but Jim can pass, I suppose. :lol:


I felt the same way. Even though he played a convincing Slughorn, he doesn't look like what I imagined him. I imagined him to be much bigger. But anyway, he was still good. I don't mind. :)

I thought Jim was great! Easily my favorite of the series' "celebrity cameos". He captured that essence of being slimy (and maybe even a little pathetic), though his heart is in the right place. Like Queen_Princess and dchristen, though, his appearance in the film is much different than I imagined it being while reading the book. Again, as he's described in the book, I thought of him to be more "walrus-ey". :p I didn't mind, though.

Jim Broadbent, while physically different to how Slughorn is described in the novel, totally owned the role, and proved, once again, that the HP casting people know how to pick the right actor(s) for any role, even if said actor(s) is/are don't match the physical descriptions of Jo's characters. My two favorite scenes of his were his actual memory of the conversation with Riddle, and the scene in Hagrid's where he talks to Harry about Lily.

Edited to add: Prior to Broadbent being cast, my ideal Slughorn was always going to be the one and only Wallace Shawn (the voice of Rex in the Toy Story films, and Vizzini in The Princess Bride), since he fits Jo's physical description of Slughorn almost to a T.

Excellent choice, I adore him as an actor ever since I saw The Borrowers and Iris.

I knew his voice sounded familiar! I had no idea he was in The Borrowers!

I think Broadbent was awesome. I loved every minute of Slughorn in the film. I thought he was really funny, and perfectly cast. Another great pick for the movie!

I agree that he didn't look exactly as I pictured while reading the book but his acting was so perfect that he has replaced the picture of Slughorn in my head :tu:

This is a honour I've given only to Dame Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton, and to a slightly lesser extent (as a result of this movie) to Michael Gambon. :p

Jim Broadbent epitomized Horace Slughorn for me.

Jim gave Horace's character and storyline tremendous pathos. :tu:

What a wonderful actor he is!

"Is this considered a dangerous profession?"

I loved him.

Jim Broadbent's casting was genius (and he was probably the only famous British actor yet to be signed up by the Potter franchise - bar a few). I thought he epitomized Slughorn's scattiness, furtiveness, eccentiricity and fear almost perfectly. Broadbent was given enough room to shine as an actor and had a decent script to work his magic with.

All in all, great performance! :clap:

He was perfect. Funny, a bit of a has-been, bright. I've known a man or two in that station; Very proper old school, just a generation older than those actually still "out there working" academically, and extremely important only as he's connected to others. He really nailed it. And his "hands on deck Granger!" and Lily story were masterfully delivered. It may be heretical to say, but I liked the movie Slughorn better than the one in the book, mostly due to his interpretation.

He did a fantastic job, not what i'd imagined Slughorn to look like but ahh well. I loved him regardless!
Haha, i loved the three broomsticks scene <3 <3 :D

"Is this considered a dangerous profession?"

I loved him.


I think they way he phrased things like that was why I loved him in the role. Its just the way I imagined him to talk, if you know what I mean.

He's not what I expected, I thought Slughorn should be a bit hefty-er... but oh well.
After seeing the movie, I thought he did an excellent job! He brought so much life to an old gaffer. I especially loved his brilliant eyebrows and facial expressions! So witty and quick that man!
:tu:

I loved his portrayal. I did not go into this movie expecting to feel sorry for Slughorn - I don't in the books - but Broadbent made him seem like such a lonely old man. In the books, I dislike him immensely, but Broadbent's portrayal will probably even make me question my own reading of the character from now on.

He was a fantastic Slughorn! I heard this news shortly after seeing Moulin Rouge and I was ecstatic! He did a perfect job being a horrible suck-up to the influential kids, was fantastic in the memories, and the Christmas Party/awkward dinner were perfect! And he did make a rather convincing armchair...I just wish there was more Slughorn in the seventh book.

I loved his portrayal. I did not go into this movie expecting to feel sorry for Slughorn - I don't in the books - but Broadbent made him seem like such a lonely old man. In the books, I dislike him immensely, but Broadbent's portrayal will probably even make me question my own reading of the character from now on.
I agree completely. During HBP, I found myself wishing I could just give Slughorn a hug or something because he came across as such a tragic and pitiable character, which is nothing how I imagined him from the books; in the series, I get more of a slimy, kiss-up Slughorn, who is somewhat detestable.

This is the great thing about Broadbent's perfromance in my mind: Though aided by a few tweaks to the script, he was really able to take the character of Slughorn and make him his own instead of simply mimicking superficial characteristics from the books. He really inhabited the character and created some kind of backstory for Slughorn that allowed him to play the character in a new light. Doing that with a character from such a beloved series is a risky thing because with a lesser actor the interpretation might now have come across properly and ended with the fans hating it. Because Broadbent is so talented, he was able to convince audiences full of HP addicts to believe his interpretation and persuade them into accepting a Slughorn that did not fit their specifications at first glance.

Still, it's amazing to see him as this:
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTMyMDg2MzQxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNDAxODc3._V1._ SX500_SY341_.jpg

and then as this :
http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2009_Harry_Potter_and_the_Half-Blood_Prince/2008_harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince_009.jp g

He really is an amazing talent!

Jim gave Horace's character and storyline tremendous pathos. :tu:
I couldn't agree more! :)

I have to admit when I found out who had been cast for Slughorn, I wasn't very excited. Mostly due to the fact that Jim doesn't look anything like how Slughorn is described in the books. But once again I was wrong (I thought the exact same thing with Lockhart, Mr Weasley, Umbrigde) :lol:. He was fantastic at bringing Slughorn to life! Bravo Jim :tu: :clap:

Jim was brilliant as Slughorn, absolutely amazing. Every line he delivered was filled with the right balance of giddyness+sorrow that I felt Slughorn gave in the book. A perfect casting for me.

As others have repeatedly mentioned, what made me love Jim's portrayal of Slughorn would have to be how he phrased certain things, like what Alan Rickman does by deliciously drawing out his voice: "Is that considered a dangerous profession?" In Broadbent's particular case, a lot of it had to do with his hilarious facial expressions, such as this:

http://img.listal.com/image/703031/500full-jim-broadbent.jpg

He was quite funny and also very sympathetic at times. A spot-on portrayal and another case of an actor in these film adaptations making up for the fact that they don't fully resemble the book character by nailing their personality, mannerisms, etc.

Jim Broadbent's portrayal of Horace Slughorn is one of the things I enjoyed the most about HBP.

I have to say I despise Book-Slughorn with all my heart. He is just an annoying and aggravating character, IMO (sorry for his fans :) ) No sympathy at all for him. But Broadbent's Slughorn is completely different and for once I - being the canon-purist I am - didn't mind the change. Broadbent has given Slughorn such a deep and touching quality. He's hilarious, but at the same time genuine and moving, IMO. Top notch acting. :tu:

Well said, ronjalina.

Not only was Broadbent tremendously funny as Slughorn, but I also think that he delivered some of the best moments in the entire series with the portrayal. Specifically, his eulogy for Aragog after extracting the venom was quite possibly one of my favorite moments in the film adaptations, if not only due to Dan's top-notch acting and the way Broadbent magnificently drew out his lines for comedic effect: "Your body will decaaaay..."

Jim Broadbent's portrayal of Horace Slughorn is one of the things I enjoyed the most about HBP.

I have to say I despise Book-Slughorn with all my heart. He is just an annoying and aggravating character, IMO (sorry for his fans :) ) No sympathy at all for him. But Broadbent's Slughorn is completely different and for once I - being the canon-purist I am - didn't mind the change. Broadbent has given Slughorn such a deep and touching quality. He's hilarious, but at the same time genuine and moving, IMO. Top notch acting. :tu:

I don't think likability should be a factor in determining the artistic merit of a character.

Nice work Jim!!!

I don't think likability should be a factor in determining the artistic merit of a character.
I wasn't talking about artistic merit at all, though. I was talking about my personal opinion on the character Slughorn and how I find movie-Slughorn more likeable, which is certainly - at least partly - due to how Broadbent portrayed him.

Overall you're right. Whether a character is likeable or not doesn't say anything about their artistic merit nor about the quality of the actor's or actresses performance. Example: I don't like Umbridge, neither book nor movie version. And she certainly isn't supposed to be liked, but Imelda Staunton did a fantastic job in portraying her.

I'm really not sure that Broadbent is what I pictured as Slughorn. I'm not sure who else I see in the part, though. I pictured him as a bit more "sluggy" looking, if that makes sense. But, since I can't think of anyone better, I guess I have to bow to the casting directors choice.

The way he says: "HARRY M'BOY!" with the upturned eyebrow and bugging eye is just wonderful. I pictured that sort of mannerism in the book version of Slughorn and yet, Broadbent nails it. He may not have looked much like Slughorn but he acted like it! Especially in the memory scene with Tom Riddle! It was too good! "Purely academic of course?" Hehe.

I didn't imagine Slughorn very well, so I happily accept his interpretation. I think he gives an excellent idea of what the character is.

Loved Broadbent as Slughorn, he's part of the reason I love the Half-Blood Prince so much!

Just watched Half Blood Prince again, and Jim Broadbent really does a fantastic job with Slughorn. Sure, the comedic stuff is great, his facial expressions really add to the performance. But what really seals the deal for me is the story about the flower and the fish from Lily (which isn't in the books) and when Harry convinces him to divulge the genuine memory of Tom Riddle and the horcruxes. He plays Horace's guilt, shame and vulnerability perfectly. A real star turn by Jim and the casting crew!