Six Actors Cast as Hogwarts Staff in HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV Show
Hold onto your wands! We’ve had a major casting announcement from HBO for the upcoming Harry Potter TV show. Back in February, John Lithgow became the first cast member confirmed for the series, announcing the news himself. Since then, Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting more casting news, and now several more names have joined the magical ranks.
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed series regulars John Lithgow (The Crown) as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) as Severus Snape, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as Rubeus Hagrid, and Janet McTeer (Ozark) as Minerva McGonagall. The news about Essiedu and McTeer was first rumored in late 2024, while a report about Nick Frost emerged last month.
In addition, stage actor Luke Thallon will take on the role of Quirinus Quirrell, while comedy veteran Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) will portray Argus Filch. Both will appear in either guest or recurring roles.
Showrunner/executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod have expressed their delight at the casting.
We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent on board, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.
A couple of the actors themselves have taken to social media to share the news with their followers.
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Frost posted on his Instagram profile, talking directly to the late Robbie Coltrane, who portrayed the loveable Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, by promising, “I won’t let you down.”
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Interestingly, Paul Whitehouse, now cast as Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch, previously played Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Those who have read the books will remember Sir Cadogan as the eccentric, portrait-bound knight who temporarily replaced the Fat Lady after Sirius Black attacked her while trying to enter the Gryffindor common room. Although Whitehouse filmed the scene, it never made its way into the final cut of the film.
The series is set to be a “faithful adaptation” of the Harry Potter books, with HBO promising a decade-long commitment to retelling Harry Potter’s story. Gardiner and Mylod stated in a previous interview that the TV format gives them the chance to explore the wizarding world more deeply than the films allowed and that they would have “eight hours to tell the first book,” suggesting that the first series will comprise eight episodes, each of around an hour.
Each season will follow one Potter book, and the show will stream exclusively on Max, where it will be available globally. While an official release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, the last we heard, it’s expected to premiere in early 2027.
An open casting call was posted for the lead children’s roles in September of last year, with over 30,000 audition tapes submitted from young hopefuls. With filming scheduled to begin at Leavesden Studios this summer, we expect to have more casting announcements in the coming months, including for the famous trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
