Nick Frost has offered his first thoughts on playing Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, and said he felt a need to not just copy what had come before.
The Hot Fuzz and live-action How to Train Your Dragon star said he had already begun pre-production duties for his turn as Hagrid, and decided how he wanted his version of the lovable Hogwarts groundskeeper to stand out, while still offering something fans will find familiar.
“While I’m really aware of what went before me in terms of Robbie [Coltrane]’s amazing performance, I’m never going to try and be Robbie,” Frost told Collider.
“I’m going to try and do something, not ‘different,'” he contiuned, “I think you have to be respectful to the subject matter, but within that, there’s scope for minutia.”
The late Robbie Coltrane portrayed Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter movies, and was reportedly an inspiration for the original character in the books.
Frost has now signed on to portray Hagrid over the next decade, as the Harry Potter TV series adapts each novel over the course of an individual TV season.
“I’ve had the opportunity to go and see some sets, and they’re growing a Hagrid beard,” Frost separately told ScreenRant. It’s unclear whether this refers to an in-progress prosthetic beard being made for him to wear, or someone actually growing a beard that will be shorn off and stuck on Frost while filming.
Last month, the trio of child actors set to play the series’ main roles were revealed, with newcomers Dominic McLaughlin in the role of Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
“I’m a dad myself, so I am going to be very protective to the children,” Frost said now of the trio. “And I think that is Hagrid’s — one of the kind of baselines of his relationship with those children. He’s very protective of them, and I honestly can’t wait.”
Other actors already confirmed for the series include John Lithgow (Conclave, Dexter) in the key role of Albus Dumbledore, alongside Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, Black Mirror) as Severus Snape.
Janet McTeer (Me Before You, The Menu) will portray Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon (The Favourite, Present Laughter) is Quirinus Quirrell, while Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show, Alice Through the Looking Glass) will play long-suffering caretaker Argus Filch.
“I always read Hagrid as he’s like a lovely, lost, violent, funny, warm child,” Frost concluded. “I think the beauty of being able to do a book a season means I get to explore that a lot more, and I can’t wait. He’s funny! I want it to be funny and cheeky and scared and protective and childlike. That’s what I’m planning on doing.”
The Harry Potter TV series is expecting to begin filming of its first season this year, with a debut on HBO planned for the beginning of 2027.
Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
