The cast of HBO's a Harry Potter TV show alongside HBO. Like the original movies, which ran from 2001 to 2011, the show is going to have every season focus on one book, with the actors essentially growing with every installment.

There are high expectations for every character in HBO's Harry Potter, but one notable character is Severus Snape. At the start of the series, Snape is introduced as the cruel professor of Potions, who immediately dislikes Harry. Later, it is revealed that Snape was bullied by Harry's father and was in love with his mother. By the end of Harry Potter, Snape is characterized as a double agent who pretends to be a Death Eater in order to make Dumbledore's plan happen. To say the least, Snape is an important character, and his appearance is part of the bundle.

Severus Snape's Harry Potter Book Description Explained

What Is Important About Snape's Appearance

Young Snape reading a book

When it comes to the Harry Potter books, where Snape originated as a character, the Hogwarts professor has a pretty solid physical appearance. He is described as a thin man with sickly-looking skin, a large hooked nose, and greasy black hair that reaches his shoulders. In of clothing, Snape usually wears a long black cloak that makes him look like a bat. As a youth, he is also noted as having a twitchy sort of walk that is reminiscent of a spider, alongside the rest of his negative features.

What is probably the most important aspect of Snape's look is the darkness within it.

In general, Snape's appearance in Harry Potter gives readers an immediate clue as to what kind of person he is. For the most part, Snape's features are characterized as being bad or ugly, which is likely supposed to reflect who he is on the inside, although Snape is eventually redeemed by the end of the book. What is probably the most important aspect of Snape's look is the darkness within it. His dark hair and dark clothes tell audiences that he is not a regular jolly Hogwarts professor, but an enemy to look out for. At the very least, he is a character shrouded in darkness and mystery.

How Alan Rickman Compares To The Harry Potter Books' Version Of Snape

How Alan Rickman Made Snape Better

Alan Rickman portrayed Snape in all eight of the Harry Potter movies, and he mostly fits the look that the books laid out. In the films, Rickman has shoulder-length black hair, a pale face with a big nose, and a black cloak that never changes, even over the course of eight movies. Notably, Rickman's hair never quite looks greasy, and his skin does not look sallow, but all the other criteria from the book are a close match. Of course, this isn't the only aspect of Rickman that made him a fantastic Snape.

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In reality, what made Rickman such a good Snape was the personality he brought to the role. For example, his low, gravelly voice is a staple of the Harry Potter movies. It raised the tension in all of his scenes, and made him seem unflappable. Furthermore, Rickman gave Snape a flair for the dramatic. Rather than walking like an anxious spider, Rickman gave Snape a fierce walk and confidence that book Snape may have lacked. His cloak flying behind him could have looked silly, but Rickman owned it. Arguably, these elements were far more important than Rickman's face.

How The Harry Potter TV Show's Take On Snape Compares To The Books & Movies

What Snape's Race Means For Harry Potter

Paapa Essiedu as George sat and looking away, deep in thought, in The Lazarus Project.

At this point, there has been no confirmed casting for any character in the Harry Potter TV show. However, it has been revealed that the series has its eyes on actor Paapa Essiedu for the role of Snape. Essiedu is a British actor who has previously earned acclaim for his performances in Gangs of London, I May Destroy You, and The Lazarus Project. Notably, Essiedu is Black, which may cause some controversy among some Harry Potter audiences. Yet, the color of Snape's skin is not important in the grand scheme of Harry Potter, and doesn't impact his appearance or character.

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If Essiedu were to Harry Potter's cast, he would obviously look far different in the show than he does in real life. Presumably, Essiedu would be given a proper costume with hair and makeup. Even if it wasn't closer to the book description, the key to a good Snape performance is personality. If Essiedu can embody the fierce cruelty of Professor Snape, then he will likely be successful. In this way, Snape's race should not be up for debate in HBO's Harry Potter, because it is Essiedu's performance that truly counts.

HBO Harry Potter TV Show Poster
Harry Potter
Showrunner
Francisca Gardiner
Directors
Mark Mylod
Writers
sca Gardiner
Franchise(s)
Harry Potter
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Dominic McLaughlin
    Harry Potter
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Arabella Stanton
    Hermione Granger
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Alastair Stout
    Ron Weasley
  • Headshot Of John Lithgow
    Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter is HBO's remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling's popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.

Main Genre
Adventure
Streaming Service(s)
MAX