While Thailand may be a world away from the magical halls of Hogwarts, Jason Isaacs, known for his role as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films and his latest stint in The White Lotus Season 3, has shared his thoughts on who should step into his iconic shoes for the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, Isaacs suggested none other than the versatile Meryl Streep for the role.
"She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," Isaacs praised Streep, highlighting her ability to transcend roles. Streep has previously showcased her range by playing a male character in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, portraying an elderly male rabbi among other characters. This versatility suggests she could indeed bring a unique interpretation to Lucius Malfoy.
Despite his strong endorsement of Streep, Isaacs humorously declined to offer any advice to potential successors. "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 final film, 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 role of Albus Dumbledore, a character 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 reportedly nearing completion. Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu is rumored to be close to being cast as Snape, while Jessica Jones star Janet McTeer is said to be in consideration for McGonagall, though no official announcements have been made for these roles yet.
