Black actor to play Professor Snape in Harry Potter series

According to foreign media reports, the actor who will play Professor Snape in HBO's "Harry Potter" TV series seems to have been found, and black actor Paapa Essiedu ("May I Destroy You", "Black Mirror") is expected to play this role.

P aapa Essiedu

According to THR, the British actor has apparently been offered the role, though it's not known if negotiations have even begun.

The Harry Potter TV series will air on Max in 2026 and there is no official cast for the role yet, but recent reports have suggested that Warner Bros. is eyeing British actor and playwright Mark Rylance to play Dumbledore, a character who has several important scenes with Snape throughout the series.

Essiedu played Gaap in the 2023 episode of Black Mirror, "Demon 79," and starred in the 2020 British drama series I May Destroy You. He received Emmy and BAFTA nominations for his performance in the latter.

Snape was the Potions Professor at Hogwarts at the start of the Harry Potter series. The late Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011.

"Succession" producers Francesca Gardner and Mark Millord will serve as directors and writers for the Harry Potter series, while "Harry Potter" film star Daniel Radcliffe has said he is unlikely to make a cameo appearance in the series, which has already received a 10-year contract from Warner Bros. Discovery Channel.