‘Harry Potter’s New Severus Snape Actor Officially Addresses Casting Backlash

Paapa Essiedu, cast as Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, has addressed the strong reactions to his casting. He said he is concentrating on bringing humanity, depth and complexity to the character, rather than trying to meet expectations set by previous portrayals.

Essiedu told TIME that he first encountered the story through the books and recognises that fans have their own opinions. He described the role as a privilege and an honour, and said he looks forward to playing Snape for a long time. The supplied article gives no further production details or figures.