When HBO announced the Harry Potter series, fans immediately wanted to know who would play the iconic characters. The movies are beloved by many and nailed many casting decisions. In a series this well-known, casting the right people can make all the difference. The movies, especially, got the roles of Severes Snape and Minerva McGonagall correct. Snape was played by the late Alan Rickman, who brought a foreboding dryness to the role. McGonagall was played by the legendary Maggie Smith, who passed away last September. According to a recent report, the show has cast these roles with new actors.
Harry Potter HBO Series Reportedly Casts Snape And McGonagall
Nellie Andreeva of Deadline reports that the series is finalizing contracts for the roles. Janet McTeer, a British actress who has been nominated for two Academy Awards, is in negotiations to play Professor McGonagall. She received a nomination for Best Actress for her role in the movie Tumbleweed in 1999 and another for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Albert Nobbs in 2011. In addition, she also received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Clementine Churchill.
McTeer isn’t the only British actor involved in negotiations. The report also indicates that Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape. The 34-year-old is most known for his role in the HBO miniseries I May Destroy You, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. The report indicated the studio declined to comment as negotiations are ongoing, saying, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
Casting Buzz
This has not been the only casting buzz for the Harry Potter series. Albus Dumbledore, the famed headmaster of Hogwarts, will be played by John Lithgow, a decision that has been met with some controversy. Author JK Rowling made a rule for the movies that only British actors would be cast for the roles. She did not want any Americans doing accents. Lithgow is not English, but this show does not seem to be under the same constraints as the films. Again, the studio has not confirmed the casting.
While that decision may be met with controversy, the decision to cast McTeer and Essiedu is likely to be praised. McTeer has a long list of great roles in both television and movies. Essiedu is a relatively new face in Hollywood and has a stage background, something many of the actors in the original films had as well.
Final Thoughts
The Harry Potter series will be quite an undertaking. The showrunners have promised this series will dive deeper into the books since they aren’t constrained to a two to three-hour movie. All of the buzz has been positive so far, and it is great to hear that casting decisions are being finalized. Fans will wait for the studio to confirm but these two seem like amazing options to play the iconic characters.
