Jason Isaacs Suggests Unexpected Actor for Lucius Malfoy in HBO's Harry Potter Series

Thailand might be a world away from the magical realm of Hogwarts, but that hasn't stopped Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, from weighing in on the casting of his former role as Lucius Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, Isaacs humorously suggested Meryl Streep as his ideal successor. "She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," he praised, citing Streep's versatility, including her past portrayal of a male character in the HBO miniseries Angels in America.

Despite his playful casting suggestion, Isaacs refrains from offering advice to potential Lucius Malfoys. "I wouldn’t have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked, expressing confidence in the new cast. "I know some of the people they’re casting already. They’re brilliant actors. It’s going to be fantastic, and the last thing they need is advice from some old fart like me."

Isaacs first brought Lucius Malfoy to life in the second Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and continued to portray the character through to the series' conclusion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the new adaptation, only one casting has been confirmed at the time of this article's publication.

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John Lithgow is set to take on the iconic role of Albus Dumbledore, previously portrayed by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. The casting for other key roles, such as Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith respectively, is nearing completion. Rumors suggest that Paapa Essiedu from Black Mirror is close to being cast as Snape, and Janet McTeer from Jessica Jones might portray McGonagall, though these have not been officially confirmed yet.