HBO’s Harry Potter remake is reportedly closing in on its Snape and McGonagall actors, and that’s exciting news, especially on the heels of John Lithgow’s Albus Dumbledore casting. Paapa Essiedu has been expected to take on the role of Severus Snape since rumors surfaced back in December, but the emergence of Janet McTeer as the likely Professor McGonagall is a new development. And with an impressive acting career and a history of playing intimidating women, there’s little doubt that McTeer will excel if she accepts the role.

Of course, the harshest reality about the Harry Potter remake is that it will inevitably be compared to the movies — and McTeer has big shoes to fill after the late Maggie Smith’s time as Professor McGonagall. Both iterations of the Hogwarts professor will be distinct, and they should be. But it’s worth looking at how McTeer’s version of the character is likely to hold up to Smith’s, taking their ages, backgrounds, and previous projects into account. There are similarities between the actors that could benefit HBO’s Harry Potter show.

How The Harry Potter Remake’s Rumored McGonagall Compares To Maggie Smith

She Has A Lot In Common With The Harry Potter Movies’ Actress

We’ll have to wait until 2026 for a complete picture of McTeer as Professor McGonagall, but the rumored actor has a few things going for her — including a couple of qualities she shares with Smith’s version of the character. For one, at 63, McTeer is just a few years younger than Smith was when she first took on the role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Smith was 67 during the first movie. Since McGonagall is older in the books, McTeer’s casting is a step up from the prior McGonagall rumors, which floated 54-year-old Sharon Horgan as a possibility.

Like Smith, McTeer is also British, so the Harry Potter remake does seem to be prioritizing actors from the U.K., even if it’s bringing an American star on board to play Dumbledore. This suggests the TV series isn’t totally abandoning the Harry Potter movies’ cardinal rule, and it ensures McGonagall’s show character won’t feel drastically from her movie counterpart. And McTeer’s characteristics even resemble Smith’s to a certain extent.

As far as acting histories go, McTeer has an impressive career behind her, just like Smith when she first joined Harry Potter. And McTeer’s previous credits confirm that she’ll capture McGonagall’s stern and intimidating side, perhaps even better than the former actress. McTeer’s time as Helen Pierce in Ozark and Hera in Kaos proves that she can be intimidating, which is a requirement for the head of Gryffindor house. And McTeer’s work on Jessica Jones shows she can lean into a character’s softer nature. That’s a balancing act Smith succeeded at, and McTeer is well-positioned to as well.

How Janet McTeer & Maggie Smith Compare To McGonagall’s Book Description

The Only Big Difference Is Their Hair Color

There’s no denying that Maggie Smith was the perfect McGonagall, as she truly fit the book’s description of the character personality-wise — and she wasn’t far off physically, even if she lacked McGonagall’s canonically black hair. It’s possible McTeer will dye her locks if chosen for the role, but she also doesn’t fit the character’s book description in that regard. Like Smith, she’s otherwise close to the character’s description and capable of pulling off her stern-but-kind persona. This ensures a faithful enough take for both the Harry Potter movies and the upcoming TV series.

Harry Potter

Created by

J.K. Rowling

First Film

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

First TV Show

Harry Potter

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen

TV Show(s)

Harry Potter

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