Harry Potter HBO officially casts actor from the original movies

While the casting for the HBO adaptation of Harry Potter is heating up, more and more familiar faces are signing on to play iconic characters from the franchise.

We don’t yet know who will play the golden trio of kids, nor who will take on the villainous Voldemort, however, several of the teachers and Hogwarts staff have been announced.

The casting for HBO's Harry Potter is starting to heat up

One member of the Hogwarts staff, the caretaker Filch, will be played by the brilliant Paul Whitehouse, who made a name for himself on comedy sketch shows in the 1990s and 2000s.

While I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, I do like Whitehouse and as soon as I read his casting it put in mind the sketch he used to do with Harry Enfield, called The Old Gits.

Here, Whitehouse played a gross old man with poor hygiene and a constant sneer, which would suit Filch down to the ground.

You might not know it, but Paul Whitehouse was actually in one of the original Harry Potter films, so it’s a bit of roundabout casting, here.

The comedian played Sir Cadogan in the third film, Prisoner of Azkaban, however, much like fellow comedian Rik Mayall, his scenes were cut.

You can still see his performance in the bonus features on the disc release of the film, and it’s nice to see him step back into the Wizarding World for another shot.

Whitehouse joins another well-loved British comedic actor, Nick Frost, who has signed on to play Hagrid.

Given the roles of both staff members within Hogwarts, it’s likely we’ll see the two act opposite each other, which will bring joy to those who have long loved the roles of these actors.

Over the coming months, we’re sure to see more casting news emerge, and all eyes will be on who gets to put on the specs and face off against Voldemort.