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English actor Paapa Essiedu, who has been cast as Professor Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, has opened up about death threats he has received since joining the show. Essiedu says he’s gotten messages saying to quit or he’ll be killed.
Paapa Essiedu, 35 years old, is known for his roles in films such as Murder on the Orient Express and Men, and TV series such as Gangs of London, I May Destroy You, The Lazarus Project, Black Mirror, and Black Doves.
In addition to Essiedu as Snape, HBO’s Harry Potter series will star Nick Frost as Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
Snape was portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in all eight of the original Harry Potter movies.
Actor Paapa Essiedu says he has received death threats telling him to quit the role of Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter series
“I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you,’” Essiedu told The Sunday Times of London in a recent interview.
“It really matters. The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ So while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered…That could age badly! But, yes, while I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.”
As for the main trio of actors that’ll star in HBO’s Harry Potter, newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout have been cast as Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively.
HBO’s Harry Potter began production earlier this year and it set to premiere on the network sometime in 2027. According to reports, HBO is hoping the series runs for a decade.