Thailand may be a world away from the magical realm of Hogwarts, but that hasn't stopped Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, from weighing in on who should take over his iconic role as Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. In a candid interview with Variety, the What If...? voice actor threw out a surprising yet intriguing name: Meryl Streep.
"She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," Isaacs said, praising Streep's versatility. Indeed, Streep has proven her ability to transform into various characters, including a male role in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, where she portrayed an elderly male rabbi. Given her track record, it's not far-fetched to imagine her pulling off the aristocratic and cunning Lucius Malfoy.
Despite his endorsement, Isaacs is not one to offer unsolicited advice. "I wouldn’t have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked, confident in the new cast's abilities. "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, the casting news is still trickling in, with only one role 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 originally portrayed by Richard Harris and later by Michael Gambon, in the upcoming series. Other roles nearing casting announcements include professors Severus Snape, originally played by Alan Rickman, and Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Maggie Smith. Rumors suggest Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu is close to being cast as Snape, while Jessica Jones star Janet McTeer is reportedly in talks for McGonagall — though these roles have yet to be officially confirmed.
