Jason Isaacs Suggests Unexpected Actor 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 weighing in on who should take over his iconic role as Lucius Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a candid interview with Variety, Isaacs threw an unexpected name into the ring: Meryl Streep.

"Meryl Streep," Isaacs declared, praising her versatility. "She can do anything, that woman. There's literally no limit to what she can do." Streep has indeed demonstrated her range by playing a male character in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, where she portrayed an elderly rabbi among other roles. Given her track record, it's clear she could bring a unique flair to Lucius Malfoy.

Despite his strong endorsement, Isaacs isn't keen on offering advice to whoever 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 new adaptation, only one casting has been 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 previously portrayed by Richard Harris and then Michael Gambon. The series is also close to finalizing casting for professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, roles originally played by Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith, respectively. Rumors suggest that Paapa Essiedu from Black Mirror is in talks to play Snape, while Janet McTeer from Jessica Jones is reportedly being considered for McGonagall. However, no official confirmations have been made for these roles yet.