Thailand may be a world away from the magical halls of Hogwarts, but that hasn’t stopped *The White Lotus* Season 3 star Jason Isaacs from sharing his humorous take on who should step into his shoes as Lucius Malfoy in HBO’s upcoming *Harry Potter* TV series.
“Meryl Streep,” Isaacs quipped when asked about his dream replacement in a recent interview with *Variety*, tied to his role in *The White Lotus*. “She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do.”
And honestly, he’s not wrong. Streep has already demonstrated her transformative acting chops by portraying multiple characters—including an elderly male rabbi—in the HBO miniseries adaptation of Tony Kushner’s *Angels in America*. If anyone could pull off playing Lucius Malfoy, it might just be her.
Still, Isaacs made it clear he wouldn’t offer any advice to Streep—or anyone else—taking over his iconic role.
“I wouldn’t have any advice at all. Why would I bother?” he said with a laugh. “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 appeared as Lucius Malfoy in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, and continued in the role through *Goblet of Fire* and onward until *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2*. As for the new series, only one casting has been officially confirmed so far.
How to Watch Harry Potter in Chronological Order
John Lithgow has been officially announced to portray Albus Dumbledore, a role previously brought to life by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the film series. While no other official casting announcements have been made, reports suggest that *Black Mirror* actor Paapa Essiedu is in talks to play Severus Snape—a character immortalized by Alan Rickman—while *Jessica Jones* star Janet McTeer is rumored to be in contention for Minerva McGonagall, famously portrayed by Maggie Smith.
