Lumos up your dark rooms, Potterheads, because we just got an e-mail this morning that makes our Harry Potter cursed hearts beat just those few times faster. After what seems like too long of a wait, the actors for the upcoming official play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have officially been announced. Harry, Ron and Hermione are finally coming to life in their adult form!
Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley will brighten up our days by portraying the golden trio in the eighth installment of the Harry Potter saga. Who they are, you might wonder? Allow us a quick second to introduce the trio to your curious mind.
Who are The Cursed Child actors?
Jamie Parker is a big name in the theatre scene of London. He has been playing in screenplays such as The History Boys (alongside Richard Griffiths and James Corden), Assassins, Henry V and Rocencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, just to name a few. Currently, he’s playing Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Don’t you worry, though, he’s just as good onscreen as offscreen, since he’s also starred alongside Tom Cruise in Valkyrie and Benedicht Cumberbatch in Van Gogh: Painted with Words. Impressive, no? After all this, he can add playing Harry Potter to his name. We’re rooting for the man.
Paul Thornley, despite not looking like a ginger just yet (we’re sure this will be helped in due time!) is a veteran in the British acting scene as well. He is most known for his role in London Road, which was a National Theatre production. You may also know him from plays such as Noises Off, A Chorus of Disapproval or The Three Musketeers. He has also starred in the musical film versions of London Road and Les Miserables and did voice work in Minions!
Lastly, the talented Noma Dumezweni is cast as Hermione. She has played a supporting role in A Raisin in the Sun and won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for her efforts. Other plays you may know her from are Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, and, starting 2016, I See You. She’s also guest starred in a few British tv shows, including Doctor Who. We are already impressed with her roles.
Since Hermione was portrayed as white in the movies, a lot of discussion has been raised upon fandom as there was a call for more diversity in the series. Having a person of colour like Noma portray Hermione assures that the discussion has been heard and answered! After all, in the books, Hermione’s race has never been specified. How J.K. Rowling feels about Noma being cast? One look at Twitter tells us all we need to know.
The play will start in summer 2016 in London Westend and we can’t lie, we’ve already lined up our schedules to see how fast we can get our butts over there to get lost in the magical world of Harry Potter once again. Of course, the remaining cast is yet to be revealed. When we inevitably return to Platform Nine Three-Quarters, we’re thrilled to find out who will play Albus and James (which one of the two is the cursed child?). Exciting times ahead!
How do you feel about the casting choices? Tweet us @CelebMix to let us know your opinion!