HBO has officially confirmed some of the adult cast members that will be part of the Hogwarts staff in its upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series.
“Conclave” actor John Lithgow will play Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape and Nick Frost playing Rubeus Hagrid, as Deseret News previously reported.
Additionally, HBO added two more names on its confirmed list of cast members.
According to Variety, British stage actor Luke Thallon has been cast to play the anxious Professor Quirinus Quirrell. Welsh actor Paul Whitehouse will play Argus Filch.
“We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life,” said showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director of multiple episodes and executive producer Mark Mylod, according to Variety.
Here is what to know about the two additional actors joining HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV series.
Who is Luke Thallon?
Thallon is an adored and celebrated stage actor, according to Deadline.
The theater star is known for his ability to “effortlessly” take on any role he’s given. Most recently, Thallon played the lead in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Hamlet,” which was also played previously by one of his upcoming co-stars, Essiedu, per Deadline.
“I would love to do something on screen. I really would,” Thallon told Deadline. “There’s no pretending that I turned lots of things down, but I’m just waiting for the reason to go to screen to be as exciting and as fulfilling as the things I get to do on stage now.”
In the upcoming HBO “Harry Potter” series, Thallon will play the stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts professor — who is more than what he appears on the surface. The role was previously played by Ian Hart in the original first film, according to People.
Who is Paul Whitehouse?
Whitehouse is a Welsh actor and comedian, known for his roles in “The Fast Show,” “The Death of Stalin,” “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Corpse Bride.” Additionally, Whitehouse also played Sir Cadogan in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” according to IMDb.
Whitehouse is also a five-time BAFTA winner, according to People.
In the upcoming series, Whitehouse will be playing the grumpy caretaker of Hogwarts, who was previously played by David Bradley.
In the books, Filch is known as a Squib — a wizard-born individual that doesn’t have magic abilities — who finds joy in inflicting punishments on students that he or his loyal cat, Mrs. Norris, find misbehaving at the school.
Additional things to know about HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series has yet to cast child actors for the roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Last year, HBO said that a team was viewing 500 to 1,000 auditions per day as 32,000 children were wanting to audition for the star roles.
Mylod stated that they wanted to focus on “the cream of British acting talent, this incredible tradition of brilliant theater actors, and, of course, we’re following the books with the canonical casting,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
The “faithful adaptation” is still expected to begin filming this summer, according to Variety.