Paapa Essiedu addresses racist backlash to his Severus Snape casting

Harry Potter star Paapa Essiedu is speaking out about the racist backlash he's faced since being cast as Severus Snape in the upcoming HBO series.

Speaking to Time, Essiedu acknowledged the controversy. "People have got a lot of feelings about this," he said. He told the outlet his focus remains on bringing complexity to the character.

This isn't his first time addressing the vitriol. As reported by TVLine, Essiedu told The Sunday Times in March 2026 that he has received death threats over the role, including messages saying, "Quit or I'll murder you." He added that seeing such threats on Instagram does affect him emotionally.

Per Variety, Essiedu has found support from the production itself, saying the whole team has been supportive. He also noted he's been "blown away" by the positive fan reaction alongside the hate.

The series, which also stars Nick Frost as Hagrid and John Lithgow as Dumbledore, is set to premiere on HBO on Christmas Day 2026.