'Harry Potter' show star opens up about death threats — 'I hope I'll be OK'

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYMon, March 23, 2026 at 1:27 PM UTC

0

One of the stars of the "Harry Potter" HBO show is opening up about the racist abuse and death threats he has received since being cast.

Paapa Essiedu, who is set to play Severus Snape in HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" series, said in an interview with The Times published March 21 that since his casting was announced, he has "been told, 'Quit or I'll murder you.'"

"The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, 'I'm going to come to your house and kill you,'" he said, adding, "While I hope I'll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I'm playing a wizard in 'Harry Potter.' And I'd be lying if I said it doesn't affect me emotionally."

Paapa Essiedu attends the British Academy Film Awards in London on March 13, 2022.

"But the abuse fuels me," he said. "And makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world? That's motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they'd rather I died instead of doing work I'm going to be really proud of."

When asked if he has reported any of the death threats, Essiedu said, "No. I don't think some 17-year-old boy being put in jail for two weeks for threatening to murder me would actually make me feel any better."

'Harry Potter' star Jason Isaacs slams 'racist' criticism of series star Paapa Essiedu

Snape was previously depicted on screen as a white man, played by Alan Rickman in the "Harry Potter" movies, leading to racially charged backlash to Essiedu's casting when it was announced in 2025.

But Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the "Potter" films, defended the choice at Fan Expo Denver in July 2025, calling Essiedu "one of the best actors I've ever seen in my life." He continued, "I've seen some people online who are being rude about him. What they're being is racist."

Advertisement

Paapa Essiedu attends the Vogue x Netflix BAFTA Television Awards Celebration on May 9, 2024, in London.

All of the stars of the "Harry Potter" TV series have also faced criticism for signing up for a project that J.K. Rowling is involved in. The author has become a controversial figure in recent years due to her anti-trans statements, and she is serving as an executive producer on the show.

Essiedu has been supportive of trans rights, in contrast to Rowling's views. The actor told The Times that he believes "artists in the trans community have a right to be treated with dignity and should be able to work without being intimidated."

In May 2025, Rowling responded to calls from her supporters to fire Essiedu due to his support for the trans community. She said on X she did not have the power to remove Essiedu from the show and wouldn't do so even if she could, writing, "I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."

Meet your new Harry Potter: HBO series casts Harry, Ron and Hermione

The "Harry Potter" HBO series will be a new adaptation of the original Rowling novels, previously brought to screen in the eight feature films, with a new cast stepping into the iconic roles. The central trio will be played by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Other series stars include Nick Frost as Hagrid and John Lithgow as Dumbledore.

Lithgow recently told The New York Times he considered quitting the show due to the controversy surrounding Rowling, but he decided not to, even though he is aware this will now come up in "every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life."

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Harry Potter' HBO series star Paapa Essiedu receiving death threats

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”