Harry Potter: Paapa Essiedu threatened with death after his casting

As the new Harry Potter series prepares, its future teacher Snape recounts the worrying reactions of some toxic fans.

He will be the new Severus Snape, Hogwarts potions master and undoubtedly the most heartbreaking character in the saga imagined by JK Rowling. But for Paapa Essiedu, the adventure begins in a chilling climate.

The actor revealed in an interview with the Sunday Times that he had received racist death threats since the announcement of his casting in the future Harry Potter series from HBO Max.

“I was told, ‘Leave the role or I’ll kill you!’ If I go on Instagram, I can read: ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ Even though I’m pretty sure it won’t happen…no one should go through that just to do their job.”

An iconic role, previously played by Alan Rickman, and whose reinterpretation triggered a wave of hatred among some fans. But far from making him retreat, this violence fuels his determination:

“These attacks make me even more want to make this character my own. When I was a child, I imagined myself at Hogwarts… so seeing a child like me be able to recognize himself in this universe, it’s a real motivation.”

Known for his roles in Black Mirror and I May Destroy You, Paapa Essiedu nevertheless admits to having never seen the films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. But he grew up with books:

“I was an avid reader. My mother couldn’t afford a nanny during the holidays, so she took me to the library. Harry Potter was an escape when reality was more complicated.”

Scheduled for 2027, the Harry Potter series will feature an almost entirely renewed cast, with Dominic McLaughlin in the role of the young wizard, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Committed to the project for ten years, Paapa Essiedu measures the magnitude of this choice:

“It’s a huge commitment. I’ll be 45 when this is all over. My life is going to change dramatically…I just have to accept that. I might even have kids by then.”