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

While Thailand may be a world away from the magical realm of Hogwarts, Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, shared his unique perspective on who should step into his former role as Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. In a candid interview with Variety, Isaacs suggested none other than the versatile Meryl Streep for the part.

"She can do anything, that woman. There's literally no limit to what she can do," Isaacs praised Streep's unparalleled acting prowess. Interestingly, Streep has previously portrayed male characters, notably 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 that Streep could indeed bring a compelling Lucius Malfoy to life.

Despite his strong endorsement, Isaacs remains hands-off when it comes to advice for Streep or any potential successor to his iconic role. "I wouldn't have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked, expressing confidence in the new cast. "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 new adaptation, only one casting decision has been confirmed at the time of this writing.

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12 Images John Lithgow is set to take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, a character previously portrayed by Richard Harris and then Michael Gambon. The casting for other key roles, such as Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith respectively, appears to be nearing completion. Rumors suggest that Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu might be cast as Snape, while Jessica Jones' Janet McTeer is reportedly in talks for McGonagall, though no official announcements have been made yet.