Paapa Essiedu reveals he received death threats after being cast as Snape in Harry Potter series: ‘They'd rather I die’

Actor Paapa Essiedu admitted that the backlash over his casting in the Harry Potter series has made him more passionate about his job.

Actor Paapa Essiedu has revealed that he faced death threats after being cast as Professor Severus Snape in HBO‘s upcoming Harry Potter series. Essiedu, who has previously appeared in projects such as Black Mirror and I May Destroy You, is set to play Snape in the upcoming adaptation, a role previously played by Alan Rickman.

Paapa Essiedu on getting death threats

It was announced last year that Paapa Essiedu will be joining the Harry Potter series.

During an interview with The Sunday Times of London, Essiedu opened up about getting death threats over his casting as Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series

“I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you’...It really matters. 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.’ So while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered…That could age badly! But, yes, 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,” Essiedu said.

Talking about it further, the actor shared, “But the abuse fuels me. And 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.”

In the interview, he also admitted that he had never seen the original movies, which starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, but had been a fan of JK Rowling’s book series as a child.

Paapa Essiedu joins Harry Potter series

Last year, HBO officially announced the actors who would play beloved characters like Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, and others. John Lithgow of The Crown-fame will play Dumbledore, Janet McTeer of Tumbleweeds-fame has been cast as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu of Gangs of London-fame is Snape, and Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead-fame plays Hagrid. The surprise additions to the cast include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

At that time, news that Paapa Essiedu would be given the responsibility of bringing back the iconic character of Snape in the Harry Potter series adaptation sparked widespread discussion on social media, with fans wondering why the casting choice deviated from traditional character depiction. Harry Potter fans have long associated Alan Rickman with the role of Severus Snape.

Meanwhile, the studio also described the show as a ‘faithful adaptation’ of Rowling’s hit book series. The official description reads, “Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences.” The series is set to launch on HBO Max in 2027.