See who’s heading to Hogwarts for HBO’s TV adaptation

Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter

Dominic McLaughlin will play series protagonist (and cultural icon) Harry Potter in the upcoming series. McLaughlin’s only other screen credit is the upcoming film Grow, in which he’ll appear alongside Nick Frost, the Harry Potter series’ new Hagrid.

When we first meet Harry, he’s an orphan living miserably with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. On his 11th birthday, he’s visited by Hagrid, who whisks him away to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns about his family history, gets his first wand, meets his new best friends, and confronts He Who Shall Not Be Named for the first time.

Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger

Arabella Stanton’s role as Hermione, a clever but socially insecure Hogwarts student, marks the young actress’ onscreen debut.

Hermione is initially written off by Harry as arrogant, but the pair become close pals after they defeat a troll in the girls’ bathroom along with Ron.

Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley

Alastair Stout will make his screen debut as Ron Weasley, Harry’s red-haired best friend with a massive family of fellow wizards.

When we meet Ron, he’s a shy boy with a sweet tooth and a knack for chess. That latter skill is especially useful when he joins Harry and Hermione on a search for the Sorcerer’s Stone.

John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore

John Lithgow elicits respect, fear, and laughter in equal measure, having scored Emmys for three very different roles — as Winston Churchill on The Crown (2016–2019), the Trinity Killer on Dexter (2009), and Dick Solomon on sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun (1996–2001). He’s also a two-time Oscar nominee for turns in The World According to Garp (1982) and Terms of Endearment (1983).

Lithgow remains a compelling figure on film and TV, having recently appeared in Oscar-nominated movies like Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and Conclave (2024), as well as FX’s The Old Man (2022–2024).

Lithgow plays Albus Dumbledore, the wise Hogwarts headmaster and founder of the Order of the Phoenix. Richard Harris originally portrayed Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. After his death in 2002, Michael Gambon stepped into the role. Jude Law later played a younger version of the character in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Lithgow opened up about the role on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast. “You know, Dumbledore, he’s kind of this nuclear weapon,” Lithgow said. “He only goes off very, very occasionally. And I don’t think it’s gonna be that hard a job.”

The 79-year-old Lithgow went on to say that playing Dumbledore across seven or eight years is “a wonderful way to grow old as an actor,” adding, “I mean, the alternative is to just be hauled out once a year to play an Alzheimer’s patient [with] an awful lot of weeping middle-aged children, you know.”

Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape

British actor Paapa Essiedu cut his teeth with the Royal Shakespeare Company and found success on the small screen opposite Michaela Coel on the BBC’s I May Destroy You (2020).

He received Emmy and British Academy Television Award nominations for his performance, and went on to appear in series like Gangs of London (2020–2022), Black Mirror (2023), and Black Doves (2024) as well as the films Men (2022) and The Outrun (2024).

Essiedu will play Severus Snape, the Slytherin anti-hero famously played by the late Alan Rickman. In a note to Rickman, Rowling called Snape “my most complex character.”

It will be interesting to see how Essiedu’s Snape manifests in this telling, as the actor will come into the role knowing his full arc.

Rickman, who was given a key piece of information about the character by Rowling before the rest of the cast, often spoke about how that helped shape his performance, telling the Los Angeles Times in 2011, “I was always aware of my place in the story even as others around me were not.”

Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall

Janet McTeer is the recipient of a Golden Globe, a Tony, and an Olivier Award, as well as two Oscar nominations for her work in Tumbleweeds (1999) and Albert Nobbs (2011). Her other notable credits include the films Velvet Goldmine (1998), Maleficent (2014), and The Menu (2022), as well as series like Jessica Jones (2018) and Ozark (2018–2020).

This year, you can see her on the Paramount+ series MobLand and sprinting alongside Tom Cruise in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.

McTeer plays Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts professor and head of Gryffindor House. The character is as loyal as she is strict, serving as a mentor while instilling a healthy fear in her students.

Maggie Smith portrayed the character in the film franchise, while Fiona Glascott played a young Minerva in the Fantastic Beasts films.

Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid

Nick Frost came up alongside his pal Simon Pegg on the comedy series Spaced (1999–2001) before appearing in films like Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013). He recently voiced droid SM-33 on the Star Wars series Skeleton Crew (2024–present), and will next appear in Disney’s live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

The half-giant Hagrid is among the first characters we meet in the Harry Potter universe. A Hogwarts groundskeeper with a flowing brown beard, Hagrid was previously played by Robbie Coltrane, who died in 2022.

Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell

Luke Thallon is a relative newcomer to the screen, with only a couple of small credits to his name. That said, he received rave reviews for his turn as Hamlet in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2025 production.

He’ll play Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell, a key role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The role was portrayed by Ian Hart in the film franchise.

Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch

BAFTA-winning performer Paul Whitehouse was a star and co-creator of the BBC comedy series The Fast Show (1994–1997), as well as a collaborator with popular comedian Harry Enfield. He’s also appeared in several popular films, including Corpse Bride (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and The Death of Stalin (2017).

Interestingly, Whitehouse previously played a role in the Harry Potter film franchise, having shot material for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that didn’t make the final cut. He played Sir Cadogan, a knight who appears in a painting in Hogwarts’ Divination corridor.

In the Harry Potter TV series, Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the feline-loving caretaker of Hogwarts. David Bradley played the role originally.

Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy

Newcomer Lox Pratt is involved in two upcoming adaptations of iconic books. The first, obviously, is HBO’s Harry Potter series. The second is a new take on William Golding’s Lord of the Flies from Jack Thorne, the in-demand writer behind the buzzy 2025 Netflix series Adolescence. (In a fun coincidence, Thorne also wrote the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.)

Pratt will play Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin bully who goes on to play a major role in the story. Draco was previously played by Tom Felton, who recently reprised the role for a Broadway run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy

Johnny Flynn is best known as the star of Netflix’s Lovesick (2014–2018) and for his portrayal of David Bowie in 2020’s Stardust. His other credits include the films Song One (2014) and Emma (2020), as well as the acclaimed Netflix series Ripley (2024). He’ll next appear in Kate Winslet’s upcoming directorial debut, Goodbye June.

Flynn is also an accomplished musician, with six studio albums, multiple stage musicals, and several soundtracks under his belt. He serves as the lead singer and songwriter of Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, which is among the most British band names we’ve ever heard.

The actor will play Draco’s father, Lucius Malfoy, one of the series’ most malevolent characters. Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus) played Lucius in the original films.

Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley

Katherine Parkinson is a two-time BAFTA winner for her turn as Jen Barber on The IT Crowd (2006–2013), as well as an Olivier Award nominee for the 2018 play Home, I’m Darling.

Over the last decade, Parkinson led AMC’s Humans (2015–2018) as Laura Hawkins, and starred on BBC series such as Defending the Guilty (2018–2019) and Here We Go (2022–present).

Parkinson takes over the role of Weasley matriarch (and Hogwarts alum) Molly from Julie Walters.

Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley

Bel Powley’s screen career began on the CBBC series M.I. High (2007–2008). Her profile rose considerably when she starred opposite Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård in Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015). The role earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination and the Trophée Chopard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Since then, she’s appeared in films such as White Boy Rick (2018) and The King of Staten Island (2020), as well as series like The Morning Show (2019–2021) and Masters of the Air (2024).

Powley plays Harry’s cruel Muggle aunt, Petunia Dursley, a role originally played by Fiona Shaw.

Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley

BAFTA winner Daniel Rigby broke out as a star of 2011’s Eric and Ernie, a BBC TV movie about the early career of English comic duo Morecambe and Wise. He’s been a familiar face on U.S. and U.K. television in the years since, appearing on series such as Jericho (2016), Sick Note (2017–2018), and Landscapers (2021). Parents may also recognize Rigby’s voice from his gig as a narrator on Teletubbies (2015–2018).

Rigby will next appear alongside Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer in Blade Runner 2099, Amazon Prime’s miniseries sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017).

On the Harry Potter series, Rigby will play Harry’s uncle, the magic-hating Vernon Dursley, previously played by Richard Griffiths.

Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge

Bertie Carvel is a prolific stage performer with two Olivier Awards under his belt. He also played the key role of Banquo in Joel Coen’s Oscar-nominated The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).

Carvel played Jonathan Strange on the BBC’s acclaimed Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell adaptation in 2015 and had leading roles on Doctor Foster (2015–2017) and Dalgliesh (2021–present). You may also recognize Carvel for playing former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair on The Crown (2022–2023).

The actor will next appear as Baelor Targaryen on HBO’s upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a Game of Thrones spinoff.

On the Harry Potter series, Carvel will play Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.

Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan

Leo Earley’s portrayal of “half-and-half” Seamus Finnigan marks the young actor’s first onscreen role. A Gryffindor student at Hogwarts, Seamus is an ally to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Devon Murray portrayed the character in the original films.

Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil

In her screen debut, Alessia Leoni will play Parvati Patil, a Gryffindor with an interest in Divination.

Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown

Sienna Moosah, another newcomer, will play Lavender Brown, a close friend of Parvati with an eye for Ron.