Paapa Essiedu Faces Racist Backlash for Snape Role

It's March 22nd.

This is Durham News Today, powered by AI.

I'm Corey with the story.

Papa Eziedu, the 35-year-old actor cast as Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter

television series, has faced intense racist and violent backlash online since the news

broke.

In a recent profile, he describes scene death threats on Instagram but decided against

reporting them to authorities.

He feels jailing a typical offender, like a 16-year-old kid for a couple weeks, wouldn't

solve the deeper problem.

The abuse hits him hard emotionally, even in a fantasy role like a wizard professor

once played by Alan Rickman, who passed away in 2000, 16 at age 69.

Friends often reach out to check on him after spotting the comments.

Eziedu notes this kind of hate is in new for him yet it underscores a persistent issue

in the industry that no one should endure just for taking a job.

Despite the negativity, he's embracing the major commitment, knowing his life will shift

dramatically by the time he turns 45.

As a longtime fan who grew up with the books, he's surrendering to the magic ahead.