Jason Isaacs breaks silence over Harry Potter HBO drama amid JK Rowling backlash: ‘Passing the torch on!’
Jason Isaacs has discussed his thoughts on the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series which has divided fans since announcing a raft of castings.
The 61-year-old actor played the sinister Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film adaptations.
Isaacs was speaking on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show alongside former cricketer and former Top Gear presenter Freddie Flintoff, comedian and actor Rebel Wilson, actor David Oyelowo and Bafta-winner Sophie Willan.
Discussing the legacy of his role among younger audiences, Isaacs admitted they rarely know who he is.
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“They don’t really recognise me,” he laughed.
Referencing the Malfoy family’s servant and fan favourite character Dobbie, the actor joked: “I rarely walk around with an elf.”
Naturally, Isaacs was also quizzed on the new HBO adaptation of the legendary book series.
“Soon I’ll be passing the torch on,” he acknowledged.
The 61-year-old praised the “fantastic actors being cast. It’s going to be great.”
HBO’s adaptation has divided the fan base recently after it announced six actors cast to play fan-favourite roles.
American actor John Lithgow, who won an Emmy for his role as Winston Churchill in The Crown, will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
British stars Janet McTeer will take on the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall, while Luke Thallon will play Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
Comedian Nick Frost has landed the fan-favourite role of gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.
Paapa Essiedu has been cast as Hogwarts’ potion master and eventual series antihero, Severus Snape. The 34-year-old actor’s casting has divided fans, with some blasting the US production for supposedly “race-swapping” the character.
It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK. @ForWomenScot, I’m so proud to know you 🏴💜🏴💚🏴🤍🏴 https://t.co/JEvcScVVGS
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025
Some fans argued Essiedu does not match the description of Snape from JK Rowling’s legendary books.
Rowling envisioned the character as a “thin man with greasy, shoulder-length black hair, a large hooked nose, sallow skin, and cold, black eyes”.
The Harry Potter Universe fan account blasted the move to its 464k followers as a “massive disappointment”.
“The creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. They haven’t even started filming this TV series and they have already ruined it. So much for this being a ‘faithful adaptation’ of the books,” the account slammed.
On Wednesday, Britain’s top judges unanimously agreed the terms “woman” and “sex” in gender legislation will solely refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
After the announcement, Rowling penned: “It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK.
“@ForWomenScot, I’m so proud to know you,” Rowling signed off.