Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter in HBO’s new TV show, and he’s admitted it’s been “a bit surreal” since joining the cast.
Nearly 15 years after the movie series came to an end, production is underway on a complete small-screen reboot of the world of witchcraft and wizardry, with McLaughlin cast as the new Boy Who Lived.
He’ll star alongside Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, as well as Jon Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Snape.
Amid footage of McLaughlin walking around London with Frost’s Hagrid, he’s been promoting another film called Grow, and reporters have managed to sneak in a couple of Harry Potter questions.
Dominic McLaughlin reveals his reaction to wearing Harry Potter costume
Speaking to BBC News, McLaughlin was asked what it felt like to put on Harry Potter’s Hogwarts uniform.
“A bit surreal, to be honest. I was always a huge Harry Potter fan when I was younger. And it was like the dream role, of course, so I’m thrilled to be able to be doing it.”
Much like Stanton and Stout, McLaughlin is an acting unknown, and he’s about to be locked into 10 years of television if everything goes to plan.
In another interview with Scottish Geek Guy at the Edinburgh Film Festival, he was asked who he’d like to play 30 or 40 years down the line if the franchise were to get another reboot.
“It depends if my hair’s turned white yet,” he joked.
“I feel like Dumbledore would be fun. I don’t know, he just seems like a very strange character, he’s just a funny guy. Who else would I like to play? Voldemort would be fun.”
As his co-star Jeremy Swift pointed out, “you’re not supposed to say his name.”