Jason Isaacs Surprises with Choice 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 the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, Isaacs proposed a surprising yet intriguing choice: Meryl Streep.

"She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," Isaacs stated, praising Streep's versatility. Notably, Streep has previously portrayed a male character in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, where she played an elderly male rabbi among other roles. This experience suggests she could indeed bring a unique interpretation to Lucius Malfoy.

Despite his strong endorsement, Isaacs remains humble about offering any advice to Streep or whoever ultimately steps 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 film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the upcoming adaptation, the only confirmed casting at the time of this story's publication is John Lithgow, who will take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon.

While not yet officially confirmed, there are reports that Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu may be cast as Severus Snape, a role originally brought to life by Alan Rickman, and Jessica Jones star Janet McTeer might play Minerva McGonagall, originally portrayed by Maggie Smith. These casting decisions are eagerly anticipated by fans of the series.

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