2 months ago
HBO locked down its “Harry Potter” reboot pinch tight information aft 1 of its stars was deed pinch chilling decease threats.
Ghanian-English character Paapa Essiedu — who portrays Professor Severus Snape connected nan show — has been flooded pinch disturbing messages ever since joining nan formed of nan TV bid past year.
Network leader Casey Bloys said nan workplace saw nan backlash coming and put protections successful spot early.
“With each actors connected immoderate benignant of large IP shows — and this is evidently 1 of those wherever you’ve got, you know, passionate fans, group pinch a batch of opinions — it tin get scary successful places,” Bloys told Variety.
“So for immoderate show for illustration that, we anticipated it and tried to person training, you know, champion practices successful position of societal media and really to grip it. And evidently we’ve sewage a superior information team. So unfortunately, it was thing that we thought mightiness hap and we conscionable effort to beryllium arsenic observant arsenic we can.”
Severus Snape was famously portrayed arsenic a white characteristic by Alan Rickman successful nan blockbuster “Harry Potter” films, sparking a activity of racially charged backlash erstwhile Essiedu landed nan domiciled successful 2025.
In nan books, Snape is nan eventual acheronian wizard vibe — sallow-skinned, greasy-haired, icy-eyed, feared by students but secretly loyal and deadly smart.
Recently speaking to The Times, Essiedu admitted nan maltreatment he gets is constant.
“I’ve been told, ‘Quit, aliases I’ll execution you,'” he said. “The reality is that if I look astatine Instagram I will spot personification saying, ‘I’m going to travel to your location and termination you.’
“While I dream I’ll beryllium okay, cipher should person to brushwood this for doing their job. Many group put their lives connected nan statement successful their work. I’m playing a wizard in “Harry Potter”. And I’d beryllium lying if I said it doesn’t impact maine emotionally.”
However, Essiedu said he hasn’t reported immoderate of nan online threats.
“I don’t deliberation immoderate 17-year-old boy being put successful jailhouse for 2 weeks for threatening to execution maine would really make maine consciousness immoderate better,” he said.
Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy successful nan “Potter” films, slammed critics arsenic racist and praised Essiedu arsenic “one of nan champion actors” he’s ever seen.
“I’ve seen immoderate group online who are being rude astir him. What they’re being is racist,” Isaacs said astatine Fan Expo Denver successful July 2025.
The caller “Potter” series, owed successful 2027, is already tangled successful wider contention astir creator JK Rowling and her outspoken views connected transgender issues — a firestorm that’s driven a wedge betwixt nan writer and several stars of nan original films.
In a crisp opposition to Rowling’s views, Essiedu made clear wherever he stands.
He told The Times that he believes “artists successful nan trans organization person a correct to beryllium treated pinch dignity and should beryllium capable to activity without being intimidated.”
In May 2025, Rowling refused calls from her ain supporters to occurrence Essiedu, saying she doesn’t person nan powerfulness to dump nan character and wouldn’t usage it moreover if she did.
“I don’t judge successful taking distant people’s jobs aliases livelihoods because they clasp legally protected beliefs that disagree from mine,” Rowling wrote connected X.
