“I'd be lying if I said I was a completely impenetrable robot.” Actor Paapa Essiedu said reactions to his casting as Severus Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter series has been extreme. He adds that he balances criticism with a wave of public support. According to the trailer released last week, the first series will launch at Christmas 2026 on HBO Max. Tap the link in @BBCNews’s bio to read more of his interview. #PaapaEssiedu #BBCNews