Black 'Potter' actor faces racist threats

HBO takes precautions as 'Harry Potter' cast member Paapa Essiedu speaks out about abuse.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 12:36pm

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Ghanian English actor Paapa Essiedu, who has been cast as Severus Snape in an upcoming 'Harry Potter' TV series, has faced racist abuse and death threats from fans who believe a Black actor should not play the role. HBO says it anticipated such vitriol and took measures to protect the show's cast.

Why it matters

The racist backlash against Essiedu's casting highlights the ongoing challenges of diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry, where passionate fan bases can sometimes react negatively to non-traditional casting choices, even for beloved franchises.

The details

Essiedu, a Ghanian English actor, will portray the enigmatic but ultimately heroic Hogwarts professor Severus Snape, a role originally played by Alan Rickman in the original 'Harry Potter' film series. HBO boss Casey Bloys said the network anticipated 'unpleasant and aggressive behavior' from some fans and took precautions, including providing training and security measures for the cast.

  • The 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' TV series is currently in production.

The players

Paapa Essiedu

A Ghanian English actor who has been cast as Severus Snape in an upcoming 'Harry Potter' TV series.

Casey Bloys

The chief content officer at HBO, who says the network anticipated and prepared for racist backlash against the show's diverse casting.

Alan Rickman

The late British actor who originally portrayed the role of Severus Snape in the 'Harry Potter' film series.

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What they’re saying

“With all actors on any kind of big IP shows — and this is obviously one of those where you've got, you know, passionate fans, people with a lot of opinions — it can get scary in places. So for any show like that, we anticipated it and tried to have training, you know, best practices in terms of social media and how to handle it. And obviously we've got a serious security team.”

— Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer, HBO

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry, where passionate fan bases can sometimes react negatively to non-traditional casting choices, even for beloved franchises. It also underscores the importance of studios taking proactive measures to support and protect actors from racist abuse.