Harry Potter star reveals he almost turned down iconic role

British actor Timothy Spall has revealed he originally turned down the role of Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter film series, believing the character was too minor to matter.

Spall, now 68, shared the story during an interview in October, admitting he knew very little about the wizarding world when he was first approached ahead of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, released in 2004.

“I didn’t know much about Harry Potter at all,” Spall said, explaining that he initially declined the offer. The decision, however, did not sit well with his family.

“My daughter said, ‘What? You can’t turn it down,’” he recalled.

At the time, Spall believed Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, was little more than a background character.

“My brother asked who they’d offered me,” he said. “I told him it was a tiny part, some character called Pettigrew who’s a flipping rat. I had no idea it was going to become such a phenomenon.”

It was the creative direction of the third film that ultimately changed his mind. Spall said he was drawn to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban after learning it would be directed by Alfonso Cuarón and feature performances from actors including Gary Oldman, David Thewlis and the late Alan Rickman.

Although Wormtail had limited screen time across the franchise, the role became one of the series’ most memorable villains. Spall said the character continues to follow him more than two decades later.

“It never goes away,” he said. “I was once in a lift in New Mexico when a couple looked at me and said, ‘Are you the rat guy from Harry Potter?’”

Earlier this year, Spall also voiced support for the upcoming Harry Potter television series, saying the longer format would allow the story to explore details the films could not.

“The films are beautifully made and mean a great deal to people,” he said. “But you can’t fit everything from the books into a film. A series gives you the chance to go deeper.”