{"id":23170,"date":"2025-04-15T22:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T22:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/23170\/"},"modified":"2025-04-15T22:43:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T22:43:09","slug":"paapa-essiedu-34-breaks-silence-on-hbo-harry-potter-casting-amid-race-swap-backlash-to-severus-snape-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/23170\/","title":{"rendered":"Paapa Essiedu, 34, breaks silence on HBO Harry Potter casting amid ‘race-swap’ backlash to Severus Snape role"},"content":{"rendered":"

Actor Paapa Essiedu has spoken out for the first time since being cast as Severus Snape in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter adaption along with five other stars. <\/a><\/p>\n

The 34-year-old actor\u2019s casting has divided fans, with some blasting the US production for supposedly \u2018race-swapping\u2019 the character.<\/a><\/p>\n

Essiedu, known for I May Destroy You and Black Mirror, will play the Hogwarts potion master and eventual series antihero, often considered author JK Rowling\u2019s Byronic hero. <\/p>\n

The role was previously brought to life by the late actor Alan Rickman in the original film adaptions. <\/p>\n

\"Paapa<\/p>\n

Paapa Essiedu has spoken out after being officially cast as Snape <\/p>\n

Getty<\/p>\n

Confirmed alongside Essiedu were Luke Thallon as Professor Quirinus Quirrell and five-time Bafta winner Paul Whitehouse as the wizarding school’s caretaker Argus Filch. <\/p>\n

American actor John Lithgow, who won an Emmy for his role as Winston Churchill in The Crown, will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. <\/p>\n

British star Janet McTeer will take on the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall while comedian Nick Frost has landed the fan-favourite role of gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. <\/p>\n

Taking to Instagram, Essiedu shared a collage pic of himself and his confirmed co-stars. <\/p>\n

\u201cAn honour and a privilege to be going on this journey with these legends,\u201d he began. \u201cWe shall eat and we shall leave no crumbs.”<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you at Hogwarts,\u201d the actor concluded, signing off as: \u201cProfessor Snape x.”<\/p>\n

The news of Essiedu\u2019s casting has been met with divide, with some fearing he does not match the description of the character from JK Rowling\u2019s legendary books. <\/p>\n

Rowling envisioned Snape as a “thin man with greasy, shoulder-length black hair, alarge hooked nose, sallow skin, and cold, black eyes.”<\/p>\n

Fans were quick to share their reaction to the casting on social media, with the Harry Potter Universe fan account blasting the move to its 464k followers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a massive disappointment. Paapa Essiedu has officially been cast as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series, as announced today by HBO,\u201d they began.<\/p>\n

\n

What a massive disappointment.<\/p>\n

Paapa Essiedu has officially been cast as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series, as announced today by HBO.<\/p>\n

The creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. Snape is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4lyMtie18j<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Harry Potter Universe (@HPotterUniverse) April 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. They haven’t even started filming this TV series and they have already ruined it. So much for this being a \u2018faithful adaptation\u2019 of the books,\u201d the account savaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis forceful inclusion is madness,\u201d another fan despaired. <\/p>\n

A third exclaimed: \u201cThis kills any excitement I have about the series. It\u2019s not about race, racism, woke\u2026nothing. It\u2019s about the showrunners p*****g on the source material like it doesn\u2019t matter. What else will they ‘change’? This ain\u2019t it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Despite the backlash, others expressed their excitement at Essiedu landing the role. <\/p>\n

Responding to the actor’s own Instagram statement, one added: “That\u2019s right brother. What a cast. Cannot wait to see you as Snape!”<\/p>\n

“I’ve literally never been more excited in my entire life,” another glowed. <\/p>\n

A third wrote on X: “Paapa Essiedu is going to shock the world with how well he portrays Snape. Already calling it.”<\/p>\n

“This is the ONLY way to give a new life to this character! Alan Rickman DEVOURED this role! Anybody\u2019s casting would draw comparisons\u2026 at least now, Paapa Essiedu can add a layer of dimension and nuance to Snape,” a fourth analysed. (sic)<\/p>\n