Gilderoy Lockhart: How Kenneth Branagh was just Kenneth Branagh

If you watch any Kenneth Branagh movie, it’s clear he has a flare for the dramatics. So was Gilderoy Lockhart really a stretch for him or just him at his best?

I love Kenneth Branagh and his work a lot but have you ever watched his Hamlet? He’s, for lack of a better term, dramatic. Everything about a Branagh production is theatrical and what you would expect out of someone who loves theater.

So does that mean Lockhart wasn’t that far of a stretch for him? I think not. I think Gilderoy was just an extension of Kenneth in a more exaggerated way. Most of his work is so out there and what you’d expect to see on TV, it isn’t a surprise that he has that same mindset while playing Gilderoy Lockhart.

While most actors are great at portraying other characters, I feel like Branagh finds it so easy to fall into these dramatic men because he himself is very theatrical. Everything he does has this kind of flare to it that brings the stage to life before your eyes, even though you’re not watching a play.

That’s why his Hamlet works so well. He isn’t trying to portray this character any differently than written and it works because Kenneth Branagh just understands the flare for the dramatics that Hamlet has.

His madness works because Branagh does it in a way that is so over the top, you believe it. And that’s why I think his Gilderoy Lockhart works as well. He believes in the insanity of this man so it then makes him more real, despite the outrageous behavior Lockhart has.

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Do you like his portrayal of Lockhart? If not, who would you have liked to see play him? Sound off in the comments below and let us know your thoughts!