It’s less than 50 days until episode one of the Harry Potter TV series airs, and the promotional material is coming thick and fast now. Earlier this week we saw three new character posters of the trio unveiled, and earlier in the month we got our first look at Hogwarts and at Dumbledore on a Chocolate Frog Card.
Paapa Essiedu on playing Severus Snape
Paapa Essiedu spoke in depth with Vanity Fair about his role as Potions Master Severus Snape in a piece which also included quotes from showrunner Francesca Gardiner, director Mark Mylod and John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore). Notable tidbits from the interview include:
- Essiedu had a two-hour chat with Gardiner and Mylod before being cast. He knew he was being considered for a teacher (“they’re considering me for a teacher … that means I’m … old now”).
- John Lithgow said of Essiedu: ‘He is so focused and intense, and yet there’s an ease to his acting … he just has a great sense of how mysterious he is, which is what makes him so compelling as Snape.’
- Mark Mylod spoke of Essiedu’s acting chops, saying, ‘We simply needed one of the greatest actors in Britain to do it justice … [he] has extraordinary range, and I always, always believe him.’
- Essiedu spoke of comparisons to Alan Rickman, who played Snape in the film series, saying, ‘The guy is an icon. He’s a legend … Anyone who’s ever met Alan or spoken to him or been friends with him have all reached out to me and spoken about what Alan would’ve thought about my casting.’
- On the TV series ‘erasing’ the films, Essiedu said, ‘I’m not trying to break anybody’s nothing. After this, we’re not going to burn the books. We’re not going to remove the DVDs of the films. It’s not the end of that. That all still exists.’
- On playing Snape for the next decade and seeing the character evolve on screen, Essiedu said: ‘Hopefully I get the opportunity to pull the contradictions and the unexpected masks of Severus so that eventually we get a human being that is fully fleshed [out] and living and breathing. That was my ambition, and is my ambition. And you can judge me sometime—in 2039 or whatever it is—as to whether it’s been successful or not.’
The Vanity Fair journalist also commented on the first episode, which they’ve seen, but are ‘sworn to secrecy’, saying, ‘It seems to me that the only major difference between [the films and TV series] is Essiedu’s casting. Though the plot unfolds more slowly … the world of the series looks more or less the same as the one in the original films.’
Daniel Radcliffe on watching the TV series
Dan Radcliffe, who played Harry in all eight ‘Potter’ films, was recently asked during a red carpet appearance whether he would watch the show. Radcliffe was non-committal, saying, ‘I don’t know if I will, honestly. I’ve watched [and] been in a lot of Harry Potter already. Also, I don’t watch any TV.’
On passing the wand to newcomer Dominic McLaughlin, Radcliffe was supportive, adding, ‘He’s got it … he doesn’t need any advice from me.’
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series, an eight-episode adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, begins airing on HBO on Christmas Day.
