Former “Harry Potter” star Jason Isaacs did not hesitate this past weekend to call out the fans who have been “rude” to new Severus Snape actor Paapa Essiedu.
Isaacs addressed the issue during a panel at this year’s FanExPo Denver convention and specifically pushed back against “Potter” fans who have attacked Essiedu following his casting as Snape in the new HBO show. “Paapa Essiedu is one of the best actors I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve seen some people online who are being rude about him,” Isaacs said, according to Collider. “What they’re being is racist.”
While Essiedu is best known for his Emmy-nominated role in HBO’s “I May Destroy You,” he has stacked up impressive credits in recent years in TV shows and films like “Black Mirror,” “The Outrun,” “The Lazarus Project,” “Gangs of London” and “Black Doves.” He is now set to step into the shoes of the late, great Alan Rickman, who received widespread acclaim for his performance as Severus Snape in the eight “Harry Potter” films.
Isaacs went on to sing the praises of the entire “Harry Potter” HBO cast, which includes Janet McTeer, Nick Frost, Bel Powley, Katherine Parkinson, Daniel Rigby, Luke Thallon and John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are set to play the series’ leads, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, while “Ripley” and “Emma.” star Johnny Flynn will portray Lucius Malfoy, the role that Isaacs played in the “Harry Potter” movies.
“All the cast of the new ‘Harry Potter’ TV series are amazing,” Isaacs remarked. “They will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does onscreen.”
The actor urged fans to be excited for the adaptation. “The show is being made by the same people who made the films,” he noted. “They’re just taking the time to make each book into a whole season — and it’s going to be great.”
Isaacs confessed that he did not get any insider information about the “Potter” project’s casting process, despite closely knowing someone who was involved in it. “Funnily enough, my daughter’s friend from university is in the casting office for the show,” the actor revealed. “She came for dinner, and she wouldn’t f—king tell us anything! Unbelievable, what a waste of university tuition fees.”
HBO’s “Harry Potter” series is slated to begin production this summer. It is expected to premiere sometime in late 2026 or early 2027.
