AIBU to think objections to Snape casting are mostly racist?

131 replies

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 08/09/2026 08:28

I'm fed up of people moaning about Paapa Essiedu being cast as Snape, making out "ohhhh waaahhh, it's not true to source material"

As if Alan Rickman was the perfect choice, he was too old, too fat, too handsome, etc

And as if the other character don't match their description. The boy playing Ron is definitely not tall, lanky and with a big nose. Dumbledore is American. Hermione is not mixed race in the books. Seamus has sandy hair in the books,Etc etc

People are just racist and trying to hide behind the books - as if they're some sort of historical record and not a children's book about a wizard....

OP posts:

Paganpentacle · 09/09/2026 10:52

PouringCream · 08/09/2026 21:56

Are you completely unaware of the long and inglorious tradition of white actors doing blackface? Olivier in Othello? The Black and White Minstrel Show?

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I feel the poster means being cast as a white person, playing a black person but without the whole 'blacking-up'.
No way would a white person be cast to play a black person of historic importance... just wouldn't happen.

LarryForPrimeMinister · 09/09/2026 11:35

Not racist, but a die hard fan of the books. They could literally of done it for any other character and it wouldn't of mattered, they did this on purpose.

BabblingBiddy · 09/09/2026 12:23

Paganpentacle · 09/09/2026 10:52

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Its not really the same though. Anne Boleyn's skin colour wasn't relevant to her story. So making her black doesn't change the narrative. Other than Henry 8 probably wouldn't have married her if she were black. I don't actually know if that could/ would have happened.

But Martin Luther King couldn't be played by a white man. The whole story wouldn't make sense. Likewise Rosa Parks. Or Kunta Kinte in Roots. Although he is fictional.

Im a huge HP fan, I agree that a black Snape doesn't really match the book. But his skin colour isn't integral to his character, provided they manage the hate/distrust/bullying so it doesn't appear racist.

Paganpentacle · 09/09/2026 12:47

BabblingBiddy · 09/09/2026 12:23

But Martin Luther King couldn't be played by a white man. The whole story wouldn't make sense. Likewise Rosa Parks. Or Kunta Kinte in Roots. Although he is fictional.

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Ann Bolyn was a real person. She existed.
So yes... her skin colour is totally relevant.
Its as relevant as MLKs.
Or are you saying that only black people can play black historical people, but white people are pretty much replaceable?

coldcalling · 09/09/2026 13:18

Alan Rickman was at least 20 years older than he should have been to play the character. Which is a bigger difference - a whole generation gap or different skin colour?

I don't think it has to be rigidly faithful to the character descriptions in the book.

coldcalling · 09/09/2026 13:24

ColdAsAWitches · 08/09/2026 19:26

If realism isn't at least vaguely important why do they bother putting actors in period costumes rather than just wearing jeans? Why use appropriate props and keep plot devices like lost letters rather than them all just texting each other? Why bother filming them in historic locations rather than on the side of the M25?

There are literally hundreds of modern film adaptations of Shakespeare that are set in modern times where they wear jeans, text etc. 10 things I hate about you, She's the Man, Warm Bodies, etc. Even the fucking Lion King!

I agree.

Also Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet, which as well as dressing the actors in modern day clothes, kept the original Shakespearean language, moved the setting from Verona to Venice Beach, and had a multi-cultural cast.

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