• By MuggleNet Editorial Staff
• 21 Jun, 2026
• Latest

Nick Frost seems to know exactly what kind of boots he is stepping into.

Frost, who will take on the role in HBO’s new “Harry Potter” series, recently spoke about the challenge of stepping into one of the most beloved parts of the original films. Frost told The Times that he wants to respect what Coltrane brought to Hagrid while also building a version of the character that fits a longer television adaptation.

The films had to move quickly, and Hagrid often appeared in bursts: the first knock at the hut door, the motorbike, the jaunt in the Forbidden Forest. A series has more room to sit with him. It can show more of the loneliness, warmth, loyalty and odd little contradictions that make Hagrid feel real to us.

Frost described his Hagrid as being from Bristol, “nice” and “a bit quiet.” He also seems prepared for the fact that not everyone will immediately be ready for someone new in the role.

“Some people won’t like it,” Frost said. “They’ll go, ‘Not my Hagrid.’ And that is all right.”

That is probably the healthiest way to approach it. Coltrane’s performance is not something a new actor can replace, and it shouldn’t be treated that way. His Hagrid was funny, enormous, wounded, gentle and occasionally a complete disaster with secrets. He made the wizarding world feel safe for us as viewers before Hogwarts ever came into view.

The question now is whether he can make this new version feel true enough to stand alongside the one we already love.

There will be plenty to debate as the series gets closer. That is inevitable with “Harry Potter,” and especially with Hagrid. But Frost’s comments suggest he understands that he is carrying the memory of the person who first told Harry, and all of us, that he was a wizard.

Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO