Everything You Need To Know About The Man Who Played Dobby In Harry Potter
Arguably, anyone who loves the “Harry Potter” movies was instantly charmed by Dobby, the lovable yet mischievous House Elf who made his debut in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” With his unwavering loyalty to Harry, he quickly became one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.
But despite his pivotal role in the series, it appears that many Potterheads are only now realizing who was behind the voice of the iconic character. Spoiler alert: it was actually BAFTA winner Toby Jones.
Toby, who’s 58, is most well known for playing the Dream Lord in “Doctor Who,” Culverton Smith on “Sherlock,” and Alan Bates in his latest project, “Mr Bates vs The Post Office.”
However, it was his recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show hosted by Claudia Winkleman on February 28 that enlightened numerous fans about his role as Dobby.
“How did I not know Toby Jones is the voice of Dobby in the Harry Potter movies?!” wrote one user on X.
“Why has Claudia Winkelman just informed me that Dobby was Toby Jones? Literally, the bloke who tried to murder Sherlock, saying, ‘I like to watch it happen,’ was Dobby. HELP ME,” added another.
This widespread revelation has prompted intrigue into Toby’s background. Born in 1966 in Hammersmith, London, he attended Manchester University in the late 1980s, where he studied literature and drama before relocating to Paris and going to the Lecoq drama school for three years.
He initially didn’t set out to become an actor, either. His parents, Freddie Jones and Jennie Heslewood, were both British actors, and he wasn’t interested in following in their footsteps. Yet, that all changed once he began studying drama.
Toby made his screen acting debut in 1992 when he landed a small role in “Orlando,” a period drama directed by Sally Potter. He’s since gone on to appear in major movies, like “Captain America: The First Avenger” as Arnim Zola, “The Hunger Games” as Claudius Templesmith, and “The Mist” as Ollie Weeks.
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Aside from the screen, Toby solidified his talent as an actor on stage as well. Some of his credits include “Parlour Song” at the Almeida Theatre, “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour” at the National Theatre, and “The Birthday Party” at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
He has won 13 awards throughout his career, including the ALFS Award for British Actor of the Year in 2007 and 2013, and has been nominated for various awards 20 other times.
It’s safe to say that he’s forever left his mark on “Harry Potter” fans (whether they knew it or not) ever since voicing Dobby in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” released in 2002, and both part one and part two of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows,” which came out in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
“It’s very personal to people. It’s linked to people’s childhood. People have grown up with it. I feel honored to be part of that massive group of characters,” he shared about his work on the franchise.
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