Paapa Essiedu recently spoke with Variety about playing Severus Snape in the HBO Harry Potter TV series, which begins airing on Christmas Day. In the interview, Essiedu speaks about approaching the role of the Potions Master, his distinctive costume and appearance, and casting backlash against a Black actor playing Snape.
Essiedu’s Snape has shoulder-length dreadlocks and wears a zip-up leather jacket, quite a contrast to Alan Rickman’s buttoned black cloak and straight dark hair. On the look of the character, Essiedu said, ‘I think the aesthetic is important … I don’t know if style is necessarily at the forefront of my mind when generating the character, but I think the way he looks tells so much about who he is — and who he wants people to think he is. It’s all incredibly well thought through and collaborated with the incredible costume department.’
Talking about the casting backlash, Essiedu says criticisms and comparisons ‘fuelled’ him to make the character his own, adding, ‘obviously, my priority is the work. I wouldn’t take this job on [otherwise], but I walk into it with open eyes. I understand the broad spectrum of what the reaction to what we’re doing means, and I take that mantle on with an open and full heart. I’ve also been blown away by a lot of the support and well-wishes and excitement.’
The weight of responsibility for playing Snape is not lost on Essiedu either. With only a couple of months until the show debuts, the actor says, ‘I’m really proud of what I’ve seen so far … there are so many people who worked so hard on this project — and who it means so much to.’
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, an eight-episode adaptation of the first Harry Potter book, premieres on HBO Max on Christmas Day.
