Bertie Carvel on His Role as Cornelius Fudge in HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV Show

Award-winning actor Bertie Carvel is stepping into the Ministry of Magic in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series, having been cast as Cornelius Fudge, and he has recently spoken about this upcoming role.

Carvel is best known on stage and screen for his transformations into political figures like Tony Blair (The Crown) and Donald Trump (The 47th). His portrayal of Fudge in the Harry Potter series marks a significant commitment for Carvel, who admitted in an interview with the Times that he may have once turned down such a major franchise.

I would have run a million miles from a project like that. I’ve been more interested in variety, in not doing the same thing twice. But I’m a bit older now. I’ve got a bit less wanderlust, I’m happier to stay still.

Bertie Carvel (Credit: Andrew Crowley/Camera Press)

Carvel’s approach to the role is refreshingly open. He revealed that he only recently read the Harry Potter books for the first time, having previously seen one or two of the films.

I don’t know how it’s going to fit into my life. I’ve read one script, which I loved, and I’ve read the books. I hadn’t before I got the role. I think I saw one of the films, maybe two. As a boy if I had read these books I would have devoured them.

This late introduction to the wizarding world gives Carvel a unique outsider’s perspective – one he intends to bring to the character of Fudge.

I am coming at it with a really open mind. Whether I come back [after the first series] probably depends on what the fans think. I mean, I’ll be furious if it’s not an amazing part.

His comments are particularly interesting given Cornelius Fudge doesn’t actually appear in the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Yet Carvel’s comments are suggesting he’s involved from the beginning, raising questions about how the show will handle his inclusion. HBO promised a “faithful adaptation” of the original books, but introducing a character who doesn’t appear until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets doesn’t seem especially faithful. Could this hint at new scenes, flash forwards, or expanded subplots?

Production on the series began only yesterday, with HBO giving us our first look at Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter alongside announcing even more casting news.

And now, as Carvel joins one of the most beloved fictional worlds ever created, it’s clear he is ready to make his mark on the wizarding world.