Jason Isaacs called out racist “Harry Potter” fans during a conversation with Collider at Fans Expo. Isaacs, who is currently an Emmy contender for his work on “The White Lotus” Season 3, starred in the original “Harry Potter” film franchise as Lucius Malfoy, starting with 2002’s “Chamber of Secrets.” HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” series has cast “I May Destroy You” Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, igniting backlash from toxic fans. Alan Rickman starred as Snape in the film franchise.
“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. “All the cast of the new ‘Harry Potter’ TV series are amazing. They will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does on screen.”
Essiedu’s casting also prompted “Harry Potter” fans to wonder if he would be at odds with J.K. Rowling, the author of the book series who is closely involved with the show’s development. Rowling has courted controversy since 2020 for regularly sharing beliefs on social media that many believe are transphobic. Essiedu, meanwhile, signed an open letter in May condemning the U.K. Supreme Court for ruling that transgender women are not legally considered women and transgender men are not legally considered men. Rowling celebrated the anti-trans ruling, which led to fan speculation that she might want Essiedu off the series.
“I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,” Rowling wrote on X at the time while sharing an article about Essiedu. “I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
Isaacs, meanwhile, has been championing HBO’s “Harry Potter” series on social media. After news broke that Johnny Flynn was cast as the new Lucius Malfoy, Isaacs championed the decision. Isaacs starred with Flynn in the 2021 historical war drama “Operation Mincemeat.”
“A fantastic actor, a lovely man and, irritatingly, a rather brilliant musician too,” Isaacs wrote on X about Flynn. “Couldn’t have handed the snake-topped baton on to anyone better. Just please don’t make him sing…”
Isaacs expanded on his thoughts in an Instagram video, saying: “It’s sensational news for ‘Harry Potter’ fans, of which I am. Johnny is a brilliant actor. We did a film called ‘Operation Mincemeat’ together and I adored him, as you will too when you see him in the show. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with. Johnny, if you ever watch this, enjoy yourself and top tip: Watch out for those elves, those pointy-eared backstabbing little bastards! Have fun. I’ll see you in Hogwarts.”
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HBO’s “Harry Potter” series is expected to air sometime in 2026.
From Variety US