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

Thailand might 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 succeed him as Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety focused on The White Lotus, Isaacs shared his surprising choice: Meryl Streep.

"She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," Isaacs praised. Streep, known for her versatile acting, has previously played a male character in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, portraying an elderly male rabbi among other roles. This experience suggests she could convincingly take on the role of Lucius Malfoy.

Despite his strong recommendation, Isaacs has no advice for Streep or anyone else who might step into his iconic role. "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 portrayed Lucius Malfoy in the second Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and continued to play the character through to the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the new series, only one casting has been confirmed so far: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, a role previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon.

Rumors suggest that Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu is close to being cast as Severus Snape, originally portrayed by Alan Rickman, and Jessica Jones' Janet McTeer is reportedly in talks to play Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Maggie Smith. However, these roles have not yet been officially confirmed.

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