Much has been said about the decision to cast Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. There's been the (sadly) expected racist backlash, but also concerns among fans about certain scenes.
Those include James Potter's bullying of a young Snape during their schooldays, and the scenes will now have racist undertones not seen in the books. Plus, when Alan Rickman's performance in the Harry Potter movies is so beloved, Essiedu has big shoes to fill.
Talking to The Times, the British actor opened up on the backlash he received after being cast. "I’ve been told, 'Quit or I’ll murder you,'" Essiedu said. "It really matters. The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, 'I’m going to come to your house and kill you.'"
"So while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered... That could age badly! But, yes, while I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job," he continued. "Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in 'Harry Potter.' And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally."
"But the abuse fuels me. And makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world? That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of," Essiedu concluded.
Abuse and threats like that are never acceptable, but people feeling that strongly about a casting decision in a Harry Potter TV series suggests they're deeply disturbed. Still, for Essiedu, who counts Black Mirror and I May Destroy You among his credits, joining the Wizarding World is still exciting.
"I was an avid reader as a kid," he shared. "My mum couldn’t afford a babysitter in the holidays, so she would take me to the library. I loved 'Harry Potter.' I never saw the films but the books were escapism when other things were less easy for me."
Snape appears in all seven Harry Potter books, meaning the show will dominate a huge chunk of Essiedu's career. The show launches on HBO next year, and the actor is aware that he has a "big commitment" ahead of him.
"I’ll be 45 by the time I finish," he said, "and I know my life is going to change in a big way, but I have to just surrender to that. I could have children by the end of this."
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Harry Potter is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
HBO's Harry Potter TV series premieres in 2027.