Jason Isaacs Suggests Unexpected 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 HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, focused on his work in The White Lotus, Isaacs threw an unexpected name into the ring: Meryl Streep.

"Meryl Streep," Isaacs declared, showcasing his admiration for the versatile actress. "She can do anything, that woman. There's literally no limit to what she can do." Streep, who has previously played a male character as an elderly rabbi in the HBO miniseries Angels in America, might just be up to the task of portraying the cunning Lucius Malfoy.

However, Isaacs is not one to offer unsolicited advice. "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 installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the upcoming adaptation, only one casting has been confirmed so far.

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John Lithgow is set to take on the iconic role of Albus Dumbledore, previously portrayed by Richard Harris and then Michael Gambon. While casting for other key roles is still in progress, Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu is reportedly close to being cast as Severus Snape, originally played by Alan Rickman, and Jessica Jones' Janet McTeer is allegedly in the running for Minerva McGonagall, originally portrayed by Maggie Smith. However, no official confirmations have been made for these roles yet.