British-Ghanaian actor Paapa Essiedu has received racist death threats after being cast as Professor Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone television series.
Paapa Essiedu faced a wave of online abuse and explicit threats since his casting was announced in 2025. The backlash intensified recently after the release of a teaser trailer showing him as the iconic potions master, portrayed as a Black man with dreadlocks, in contrast to the character’s description in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
In an interview with The Times, the actor of Ghanaian heritage spoke out about the abuse, revealing that he had received racially abusive messages and death threats.
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“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. Another says quit or I will murder you,” he said.
Paapa Essiedu acknowledged that the threats had affected him emotionally but stressed that it was unacceptable for actors to face such abuse simply for doing their job.
“While I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally,” he explained.
Despite the hostility, Paapa Essiedu said the experience has only strengthened his resolve to make the role his own, drawing inspiration from his childhood love of the books.
“But it 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,” he added.
HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has reassured fans and the cast that the production has implemented serious security measures in response to the online abuse.
The trolling escalated when fans noticed the casting differed from J.K. Rowling’s description of Professor Severus Snape in the books, a menacing man with pale skin, dark greasy hair, and cold eyes. Many fans, accustomed to the late Alan Rickman’s portrayal in the original films, expressed dissatisfaction with Essiedu’s Black heritage.
The official date for the film’s first season release has been slated for this year December 25, 2026.