Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
Age Now: 66
Age when the series ends: 73
Birthday: May 1958
Paul Whitehouse will play Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch. The role was previously played by David Bradley.
You Won’t Believe How Old the Oldest Harry Potter TV Show Cast Member Will Be When the Show Ends…
The new HBO adaptation promises age-accurate casting and will span exactly seven years.
Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection
Accio Harry Potter’s new TV show! HBO just announced a portion of the new Harry Potter TV show cast, and we’re absolutely obsessed.
The reboot comes approximately 14 years after Warner Bros. concluded the Harry Potter film series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as the beloved wizards that we all have grown up with. The new show will introduce three new kids in the roles, however HBO hasn’t announced them yet. ” We are not yet ready to announce the kids, we’re still working our way through that process,” Warner Bros.’ Channing Dungey told Deadline. A reported 32,000 kids auditioned for the role. The studio is committed to casting actors who are age-accurate to the roles, since the show will be spanning the exact seven years that Harry and his crew are at Hogwarts.
During a presentation, Warner Bros. executive Francesca Gardiner also emphasized that they will keep canonical ages intact. For example, Lily and James Potter would be 21, which is what they were in the books when they died, and Severus Snape would be in his early 30s. The TV show would “really dig into the character arcs” and explore Hogwarts more, including the lives of its staff. Direct Mark Mylod agreed that their intention was not to “undo what was done so brilliantly.”
Harry Potter Cast Ages Compared in Real Life
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Image Credit: Getty Images / Warner Bros. / Everett Collection -
Luke Thallon as Professor Quirinus Quirrell
Image Credit: Getty Images / Warner Bros. Age now: 29
Birthday: April 14, 1996Luke Thallon was announced as a recurring role as Professor Quirinus Quirrell. The character only appears in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but we won’t spoil what happens to him after.
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Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
Image Credit: Getty Images / Warner Bros. / Everett Collection Age Now: 53
Age when the series ends: 60
Birthday: March 28, 1972Nick Frost was announced to be playing half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter HBO TV series. The role was previously played by Robbie Coltrane. The Shaun of the Dead actor posted on Instagram when the announcement dropped: “You’re a wizard, Harry!!! Thank you for trusting me with such a loyal, gentle and courageous half-giant like Rubeus Hagrid. Robbie, I promise I won’t let you down.”
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Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
Image Credit: Getty Images / Warner Bros. / Everett Collection Age now: 34
Age when the series ends: 41
Birthday: June 11, 1991I May Destroy You‘s Paapa Essiedu will be playing Professor Severus Snape in the HBO Harry Potter TV series. The role was previously played by Alan Rickman. When the announcement dropped in April 2025, he posted on Instagram, “An honour and a privilege to be going on this journey with these legends.We shall eat and we shall leave no crumbs. See you at Hogwarts. Professor Snape x”
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Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall
Image Credit: Getty Images / Warner Bros. / Everett Collection Age now: 63
Age when the series ends: 70
Birthday: August 5, 1961Janet McTeer was announced to be playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in April 2025. The role was previously played by the late Dame Maggie Smith. The actress hasn’t commented on her casting yet.
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John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
Image Credit: Christopher Polk for Penske Media / Warner Bros. for Everett Collection Age now: 80
Age when the series ends: 87
Birthday: October 19, 1945John Lithgow was announced as the role of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in February 2025. In an interview with ScreenRant, he talked about how his age was a factor in accepting the role. “I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid,” the actor said.
He said that he would “about 87 years old at the wrap party,” considering each season follows one book. However, he’s excited to work with the “wonderful” team.
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