Harry Potter TV series cast: Meet the confirmed Hollywood stars

Excitement is building among Harry Potter fans worldwide as new casting announcements continue to be made for HBO’s Harry Potter television series, which is scheduled to begin filming this summer.

The network recently confirmed the casting of several stars playing key roles in the series. And while over 30,000 young hopefuls have reportedly auditioned, casting for the lead roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley is yet to be announced. Meanwhile, let’s meet the actors who are confirmed!

Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid)

Known for comedies like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, the British actor referenced his casting whilst giving a shout out on social media to late star Robbie Coltrane (who portrayed Hagrid in the Harry Potter films). Frost wrote on Threads, “You’re a wizard, Harry!!! Thank you for trusting me with such a loyal, gentle and courageous half-giant like Rubeus Hagrid. Robbie, I promise I won’t let you down.”

Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall)

Janet McTeer was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1999 comedy-drama Tumbleweeds. She will soon be seen in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. And here’s a fun fact: While the star playing Voldemort in the new Harry Potter series has not yet been revealed, McTeer starred with Ralph Fiennes (who plays Voldemort in the films) in 2022’s dark comedy The Menu. 

Paul Whitehouse (Argus Filch)

The Welsh actor and star of comedy sketch series The Fast Show will take on the rather unpopular Argus Filch, caretaker of Hogwarts school. An interesting bit of trivia is that Whitehouse is not a stranger to the Harry Potter world. In the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he played Sir Cadogan, a knight in a painting that hangs near the South Tower of Hogwarts. 

Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape)

Essiedu takes on a fan-favourite role made famous by the late Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter films. When the casting was in the final stages of negotiation, news that a Black actor might play Snape had divided social media opinion. Essiedu recently posted a picture of the confirmed cast members on Instagram, writing, “An honour and a privilege to be going on this journey with these legends. We shall eat and we shall leave no crumbs. See you at Hogwarts. Professor Snape x.”

Luke Thallon (Quirinus Quirrell)

Known for his work in theatre, 29-year-old Thallon will now portray Harry Potter’s first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Thallon, who appeared in an uncredited role in the movie The Favourite, is keen to branch out into roles on screen. He told Deadline, “There’s no pretending that I turn lots of things down, but I’m just waiting for the reason to go to screen to be as exciting and as fulfilling as the things I get to do on stage now.” The future definitely looks promising for this young star! 

John Lithgow (Headmaster Albus Dumbledore)

While Lithgow had already announced his role as Dumbledore, HBO officially confirmed his casting along with the other five stars named. Lithgow revealed on a podcast that he’s currently reading the Harry Potter novels to educate himself on the story. The American screen veteran and star of popular sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun recently won an Olivier Award for his role as author Roald Dahl in the theatrical production Giant.