Jason Isaacs Surprises with Choice for Lucius Malfoy in HBO's Harry Potter Series

Thailand may be a world away from Hogwarts, but that hasn't stopped Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, from sharing his thoughts on who should succeed him as Lucius Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, the What If...? voice actor expressed a 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 versatility, Streep has previously portrayed a man in the HBO miniseries adaptation of the epic play Angels in America, playing an elderly male rabbi among other characters. Her ability to transform suggests she could indeed take on the role of Lucius Malfoy convincingly.

Despite his strong endorsement, Isaacs refrained from offering any advice to potential successors. "I wouldn't have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked. He expressed confidence in the new cast, stating, "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 play the character through to the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the upcoming 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 originally portrayed by Richard Harris and later by Michael Gambon. Additionally, there are rumors that Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu is close to being cast as Severus Snape, originally played by Alan Rickman, and Jessica Jones star Janet McTeer may be cast as Minerva McGonagall, originally portrayed by Maggie Smith. However, these latter two roles have yet to be officially confirmed.