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

Thailand may be a world away from the magical halls of Hogwarts, but that hasn't stopped Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, from sharing his thoughts on who should take over his iconic role as Lucius Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, Isaacs suggested none other than Meryl Streep for the part.

"Meryl Streep," Isaacs declared, praising the What If...? voice actor's versatility. "She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do." Streep has previously showcased her range by playing a man in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, where she portrayed an elderly male rabbi among other characters. Given her track record, it's clear she could bring a unique flair to the role of Lucius Malfoy.

Despite his strong endorsement, Isaacs refrained from offering any advice to Streep or anyone else who might step into his shoes. "I wouldn’t have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked. "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 installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the upcoming adaptation, only one casting has been confirmed at the time of this article's publication.

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John Lithgow is set to star as Albus Dumbledore, a role previously filled by Richard Harris and then Michael Gambon, in the new series. The casting for other key roles, such as professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, originally portrayed by Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith respectively, is nearing completion. Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu is reportedly close to being cast as Snape, while Jessica Jones star Janet McTeer is allegedly in talks for McGonagall, though no official confirmations have been made yet.