The cast of HBO’s upcomingHarry Pottershow is of the utmost importance, and now that HBO has revealed who they are eying to play Snape,now is as good a time as any to see what the source material says about the iconic Potions professor.Back in 2023, Warner Bros. announced that they would be developingaHarry PotterTV show alongside HBO. Like the original movies, which ran from 2001 to 2011, the show is going to have every season focus on one book, with the actors essentially growing with every installment.
There are high expectations for every character in HBO’sHarry Potter,but one notable character is Severus Snape. At the start of the series,Snape is introduced as the cruel professor of Potions, who immediately dislikes Harry. Later, it is revealed that Snape was bullied by Harry’s father and was in love with his mother. By the end ofHarry Potter,Snape is characterized as a double agentwho pretends to be a Death Eater in order to make Dumbledore’s plan happen. To say the least, Snape is an important character, and his appearance is part of the bundle.
Severus Snape’s Harry Potter Book Description Explained
What Is Important About Snape’s Appearance
When it comes totheHarry Potterbooks, where Snape originated as a character, the Hogwarts professor has a pretty solid physical appearance. He is described as a thin man with sickly-looking skin, a large hooked nose, and greasy black hair that reaches his shoulders. In terms of clothing,Snape usually wears a long black cloak that makes him look like a bat. As a youth, he is also noted as having a twitchy sort of walk that is reminiscent of a spider, alongside the rest of his negative features.
What is probably the most important aspect of Snape’s look is the darkness within it.
In general, Snape’s appearance inHarry Pottergives readers an immediate clue as to what kind of person he is. For the most part,Snape’s features are characterized as being bad or ugly, which is likely supposed to reflect who he ison the inside, although Snape is eventually redeemed by the end of the book. What is probably the most important aspect of Snape’s look is the darkness within it. His dark hair and dark clothes tell audiences that he is not a regular jolly Hogwarts professor, but an enemy to look out for. At the very least, he is a character shrouded in darkness and mystery.
How Alan Rickman Compares To The Harry Potter Books' Version Of Snape
How Alan Rickman Made Snape Better
Alan Rickman portrayed Snape in all eight of theHarry Pottermovies, and he mostly fits the look that the books laid out. In the films, Rickman has shoulder-length black hair, a pale face with a big nose, and a black cloak that never changes, even over the course of eight movies. Notably,Rickman’s hair never quite looks greasy, and his skin does not look sallow, but all the other criteria from the book are a close match. Of course, this isn’t the only aspect of Rickman that made him a fantastic Snape.
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In reality, what made Rickman such a good Snape was the personality he brought to the role. For example, his low, gravelly voice is a staple of theHarry Pottermovies. It raised the tension in all of his scenes, and made him seem unflappable. Furthermore, Rickman gave Snape a flair for the dramatic. Rather than walking like an anxious spider,Rickman gave Snape a fierce walk and confidence that book Snape may have lacked. His cloak flying behind him could have looked silly, but Rickman owned it. Arguably, these elements were far more important than Rickman’s face.
How The Harry Potter TV Show’s Take On Snape Compares To The Books & Movies
What Snape’s Race Means For Harry Potter
At this point, there has been no confirmed casting for any character in theHarry PotterTV show. However, it has been revealed thatthe series has its eyes on actor Paapa Essiedu for the role of Snape. Essiedu is a British actor who has previously earned acclaim for his performances inGangs of London, I May Destroy You,andThe Lazarus Project.Notably, Essiedu is Black, which may cause some controversy among someHarry Potteraudiences. Yet, the color of Snape’s skin is not important in the grand scheme ofHarry Potter,and doesn’t impact his appearance or character.
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If Essiedu were to joinHarry Potter’scast, he would obviously look far different in the show than he does in real life. Presumably, Essiedu would be given a proper costume with hair and makeup. Even if it wasn’t closer to the book description,the key to a good Snape performance is personality. If Essiedu can embody the fierce cruelty of Professor Snape, then he will likely be successful. In this way, Snape’s race should not be up for debate in HBO’sHarry Potter,because it is Essiedu’s performance that truly counts.
Harry Potter
Cast
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
