Nick Frost says landing the role of Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series wasn’t just luck, it was something he actively tried to make happen long before casting was announced.
The British comedian, now officially set to step into the boots of Hogwarts’ beloved groundskeeper, revealed that his journey to the role began months earlier with a very personal ritual.
In a January 29 interview, Frost shared that the idea came from his partner, who encouraged him to try to manifest the role originally played by the late Robbie Coltrane.
Taking the suggestion to heart, Frost dove headfirst into the Wizarding World over the holidays.
“So last Christmas I watched all the Harry Potter movies back to back on the Sky channel, while writing the word ‘Hagrid’ 7,000 times,” he said.
That unusual effort appears to have paid off.
Frost was officially cast in April 2025 and has been working on the series since production began in July.
Your connection with harry potterHowever, it goes far beyond that single moment of manifestation.
He explained that rewatching the movies is a long-standing family tradition.
“I’ve seen all the movies,” he said, adding that they watch them together every Christmas. “We started on December 20 and finished a week and a half later.”
Frost has also been open about how seriously he approaches the role and the responsibility that comes with it.
Speaking in early June 2025, he addressed the legacy left by Coltrane and made it clear that he is not trying to replicate what came before.
“Although I am very aware of what happened before me in terms of Robbie [Coltrane]”Because of his incredible performance, I will never try to be Robbie,” Frost said.
“I’m going to try to do something, not ‘different’, I think you have to be respectful of the subject at hand, but within that, there is room for minutiae.”
He believes the long-form television format will allow him to explore Hagrid in greater depth than ever before.
Frost described his personal reading of the character by saying, “I always read Hagrid because he’s like this lovely, lost, violent, funny, warm boy.”
He added that adapting one book per season opens up space to delve deeper into those layers, something he’s especially excited about.
Humor is also central to how Frost plans to portray the fan-favorite character. His goal is a version of Hagrid that fully encompasses his emotional range.
“I want it to be fun, cheeky, scared, protective and childish. That’s what I plan to do,” he said.
HBO’s Harry Potter series is currently in development and expected to premiere in 2027, and Frost’s version of Hagrid is already drawing attention for the passion and intention behind it.
