*Paapa Essiedu, who has been cast as Severus Snape in HBO Max’s upcoming Harry Potter series, has revealed he has received death threats and racist abuse as a result of his role.
The actor described messages telling him to quit or face murder, explaining the emotional toll of the harassment in an interview with The Sunday Times.
“I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you,’” Essiedu said. “It really matters. The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ So, while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered…that could age badly! But, yes, while I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job.”
Essiedu added that the threats have strengthened his determination to make the character his own.
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“The abuse fuels me. And makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world. That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of.”
The series, first announced in 2021, will adapt J.K. Rowling’s seven-book saga, with each season based on a single novel. Essiedu joins a cast that includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Filming began last summer. Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO tapped Rowling to produce the series, though she will not oversee daily operations.
Despite the backlash, Essiedu remains committed to the role, noting the personal significance of representation. The Harry Potter TV series is set to launch next year and is expected to span a decade, with Essiedu reflecting on how the project may impact his life: “I know my life is going to change in a big way, but I have to just surrender to that. I could have children by the end of this.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series in the Works for HBO Max
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