Movies

Kenneth Branagh Lays It on Thick in Lost Gilderoy Lockhart Photo Shoot

by Michael Walsh
Oct 18 2018 • 10:23 AM

Harry Potter‘s Gilderoy Lockhart might have been a narcissistic charlatan who not only wasted an important year of education for young wizards and witches, he almost got Hogwarts shut down thanks to his incompetence. But, man, did he have a great smile. Also, it was hard to hate him since he was played by the great Kenneth Branagh, who made an otherwise repugnant fraud so damn charming. And that perfect mixture of false bravado and charisma he brought to the role are fully on display in a newly unearthed, never-bef0re-seen photo shoot of the terrible Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, featuring him in a series of ridiculous poses.

Entertainment Weekly shared these photos. Incredibly, they’ve been kept from Muggle eyes since Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released in 2002 (yeah, 2002!). The film’s director Christopher Columbus said the shoot took place on a bluescreen stage, and that Branagh, who he says is “one of the funniest people” he has ever met, had no problem hamming it up and having a great time.” That’s pretty obvious from these hilarious pictures. He is embracing full Lockhart cheese.

Gilderoy Lockhart obviously didn’t do any of these things as he traveled the world stealing the stories of other more talent wizards, but in fairness, what are the odds those wizards looked as good doing heroics as Lockhart does only pretending to have done them?And of course we know why it has taken 16 years for us to see these images–Lockhart forgot he took them.Which of these is your favorite? Tell us why in the comments section below.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.