Paapa – known for his work in I May Destroy You, Anne Boleyn, The Lazarus Project and The Capture – is the first Black actor to play Snape in a major Harry Potter production (the character was previously portrayed by Alan Rickman in the original films, and the likes of Paul Bentall and Byron Jennings in the play Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.

"Harry Potter" alum Jason Isaacs weighed in on the online controversy surrounding Paapa Essiedu's casting in the upcoming HBO series adaptation.

Jason Isaacs called out the "racist" Harry Potter fans who have gone out of their way to be "rude" to Severus Snape actor Paapa Essiedu.