Richard Harris had no choice — his 11-year-old granddaughter said that if he refused to play in the Harry Potter film, she'd never talk to him again.
The actor had originally turned down the chance to play the worldly-wise Professor Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" because he couldn't face the idea of being locked into a string of sequels.
Then Ellie got to hear about his decision: "She called me up and said 'Poppa, if you don't play Dumbledore, I will never speak to you again.' I hung up and called my agent and said I'd do it. I can't afford to lose that kid," he said.
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All is forgiven now. Harris, 72, will be taking her to the world premiere today in London. "She's my date," he said.