The Doctor cried when he read book seven, he alleges. And Expelliarmus proved to be a very handy word for defeating Carrionites. On the other hand, JK Rowling might like to tell us where the inspiration came for portkeys – time rings? And a Ford Anglia and a tent that are both bigger on the inside.
But the cross-over between Doctor Who and Harry Potter doesn’t end with the scripts. A surprising number of people from Doctor Who history have connections with Harry Potter.
Or perhaps not surprising since both franchises attract the best of British acting talent.
Family Ties
The first Doctor Who/Harry Potter connection is a tie of blood. Two of the young actors in key roles in Harry Potter are related to classic Doctor Who actors.
Harry Melling who plays the nasty Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter is
the grandson of Patrick Troughton.
Son
Alfie Enoch who is Harry’s friend and dorm-mate Dean Thomas is the Son of William Russell (Ian Chesterton)
Dad
Jobbing Actors
And of course there are a number of cross-over actors. The most important of them has to be David Tennnt, who played Barty Crouch Junior while he was waiting to break into the big time as The Doctor. Ironically, after regenerating from Christopher Eccleston’s body in the last episode of the 2005 series, he transformed from Brendan Gleeson’s in Goblet of Fire.
Zoe Wannamaker was Madame Hooch, flying instructor – broomstick flying that is – in The Philosopher’s Stone. And of course she was Cassandra in End of The World and New Earth.
Julian Glover was the voice of Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Before then he was Count Scarlioni in thr Fourth Doctor story, City of Death.
John Cleese is Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter. Headless Nick. He is fondly remembered as the Art Critic who appraised the TARDIS in City of Death.
Terence Bayler is the Bloody Baron, ghost mascot of Slytherin House. but first he was Yendom in The Ark and Major Barrington in War Games for the First and Second Doctors respectively.
Yendom and a Monoid
Major Barrington
Elizabeth Spriggs is the lady in the portrait who opens the door to the Griffindor common room in the first three Harry Potter films. She was the cannibalistic old lady, Tabby in Paradise Towers.
Derek Deadman plays Tom the innkeeper in Philosopher’s Stone. He was the Sontaran commander, Stor, in Invasion of Time.
Shirley Henderson is famous as Moaning Myrtle in Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire. She played the ill-famous Ursula Blake in Love and Monsters.
Jimmy Gardner was Ernie Prang the bus driver in Prisoner of Askaban. He started his Doctor Who career as Chenchu in Marco Polo and much later was Idmon in the Fourth Doctor story, Underworld.
Chenchu
Idmon Trying To Rescue His Family From "Skyfall"
Roger Lloyd Pack played David Tennant’s dad, Barty Crouch Senior in Goblet of Fire. He was Mr Lumic the creator of the Cybermen in Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel.
Christopher Whitingham was a Ministry Wizard in the trial of Barty Crouch junior – he’s in the crowd scene somewhere. He was the ‘second crewman’ in Earthshock.
And finally – so far. There are still three more films to go - Jessica Hynes, is Mafalda Hopkirk in the Order of The Phoenix in 2007. But before then she was Nurse Joan Redfern, who fell in love with The Doctor's Edwardian alter ego, John Smith.
Mafalda
Nurse Redfern and John Smith
