Harry Potter actor blasts critics of TV show casting: ‘What they’re being is racist’

For years, Harry Potter has been dominating the pop culture landscape. While the books had imagery through cover art and occasional black-and-white sketches within the chapters, the story really came to life visually upon the release of the film adaptations. It was at this moment that the world associated a full picture with exactly what the Harry Potter Universe looked like from the perspective of the characters.

It is this reason that has forced the upcoming Harry Potter television series on HBO and Max to tread lightly in their casting choices. Knowing that fans have a certain view of the characters, any change may be met with mixed reactions. This is exactly what happened, but the casting choice receiving the most backlash was the casting of a Black actor in the role of Professor Severus Snape.

The actor, Paapa Essiedu, is a fantastic actor who has the support of his peers not just on the Harry Potter television show, but in the industry as a whole. One former star of the films, Jason Isaacs, has recently come out especially vocally in defense of the upcoming cast and stars. To him, what the cast looks like should never be a problem for the fans.

Jason Isaacs states racism is behind the backlash on casting

Jason Isaacs, the actor who originally played Lucius Malfoy in the film series, spoke out during a FanExpo Denver panel. He made it clear that the hate and vitriol directed at the decorated actor, Essiedu, is completely sickening and unjust.

“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 does not beat around the bush here. To him, the hate is purely because of the color of Essiedu's skin, as he is playing a character that was formerly depicted as white. The reality is, Harry Potter is an entirely fictional setting. Meaning, how a character looks, the color of their skin, their height, weight, build, hair color, and all other elements of their looks are ultimately up for interpretation as they do not exist (although authors typically do describe the general concept they have in their books).

For those who are wondering, no, Isaacs nor the other OG cast got any early insight on who the directors were selecting for the refreshed cast.

“Funnily enough, my daughter’s friend from university is in the casting office for the show," he claimed. "She came for dinner, and she wouldn’t f—king tell us anything! Unbelievable, what a waste of university tuition fees.”

It is not just Essiedu that Isaacs is supporting, either.

“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.” He continued, “The show is being made by the same people who made the films, and they’re just taking the time to make each book into a whole season — and it’s going to be great.”

Given the extended time they have to flesh out all the details of the books in a way a film simply did not have the flexibility to do, the series appears ready to take off and give the fans exactly what they are looking for. J.K. Rowling herself has already confirmed that the script so far is fantastic. With each season representing one book, and the directors promising to stick close to the source material, there truly is a lot to love.

For fans still upset with the casting choice, just remember: imagery can change, but skilled acting cannot. The goal is to hire the best actors for the roles, regardless of how they look. Perhaps in biopics or other similar film platforms, the look is essential. In a fictional world, though, we should all be rooting for the best possible people.

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