Credit: Inside the MagicHarry Potter actor Jason Isaacs, who plays Death Eater Lucius Malfoy in the film series, has called out “racist” fans who continue to criticize the casting of Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror) as Severus Snape (previously played by the late Alan Rickman) in the HBO television series.
Several casting announcements for the reboot have been made over the past few months, including the main characters, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, who will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton, respectively.
However, Black actor Paapa Essiedu is the only cast member out of the 18 confirmed who has come under scrutiny from fans. Criticism has ranged from mild, with some admitting that they’d prefer a more “book-accurate” Snape, to downright racist, with others going as far as asking Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to remove Essiedu from the cast lineup.
Now, Jason Isaacs has called out racist fans in a recent interview while describing Essiedu as “one of the best actors” he’s ever seen in his life.
Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Icon Condemns J.K. Rowling’s Online Behavior After Years of Friendship
“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. What they’re being is racist,” Isaacs said at FanExpo Denver (via Collider). “All the cast of the new Harry Potter TV series are amazing. They [the fans] will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does on screen.”
Fans disappointed with the casting choice turned to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for help, which also came after Essiedu signed an open letter condemning the U.K. Supreme Court’s divisive ruling on biological sex, an outcome Rowling celebrated on X (Twitter).
But while Rowling is one of the show’s executive producers, she said that she doesn’t “have the power to sack an actor from the series” and “wouldn’t exercise” that ability if she did:
“I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine. pic.twitter.com/nKcAl3gcvO
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 5, 2025
Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Series Canceled Due to J.K. Rowling’s Views
Harry Potter TV Series: Who Else Is Involved?
Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials) is writer/showrunner and an executive producer, Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) will executive-produce and direct multiple episodes, and J.K. Rowling is also an executive producer, along with Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
The series stars Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout.
Supporting roles include Katherine Parkinson (Molly Weasley), Lox Pratt (Draco Malfoy), Johnny Flynn (Lucius Malfoy), Leo Early (Seamus Finnigan), Alessia Leoni (Parvati Patil), Sienna Moosah (Lavender Brown), Bel Powley (Petunia Dursley), Daniel Rigby (Vernon Dursley), Bertie Carvel (Cornelius Fudge), John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape), Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid), Luke Thallon (Quirinus Quirrell), and Paul Whitehouse (Argus Filch).
How do you feel about Paapa Essiedu being cast as Snape? Let us know!