Paapa Essiedu is gaining major attention for his upcoming role in HBO’s Harry Potter series.
On April 14, HBO announced key casting for the highly anticipated adaptation, revealing that John Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer will take on Minerva McGonagall, Essiedu will portray Severus Snape, and Nick Frost will step into the role of Rubeus Hagrid. “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life,” said showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod in a joint statement. Both are also executive producers on the series.
While some may recognize him from past standout performances, many are just getting to know the British actor. Find out more about him below.
Born and raised in London, Essiedu is of Ghanaian heritage and often speaks about representation and diversity in the entertainment industry.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Essiedu made history as the first Black actor to play Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2016.
Essiedu gained widespread acclaim for his role as Kwame in Michaela Coel’s groundbreaking HBO/BBC series I May Destroy You (2020). His portrayal of a queer man grappling with trauma and identity earned him both an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor and a British Academy Television Award nomination.
He also received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor for his leading role in the sci-fi thriller series The Lazarus Project.
