A new era of Harry Potter is about to begin, and at the centre of it is young Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin, who has officially been cast as Harry Potter in HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of the beloved books.
For many fans, taking over the role made famous by Daniel Radcliffe is one of the biggest acting jobs imaginable. So who exactly is Dominic McLaughlin, and how did he land one of the most famous roles in entertainment?
A young Scottish actor
Dominic is a young actor from Scotland who was relatively unknown before being announced as the new Harry Potter in 2025. HBO reportedly conducted a massive open casting search for children aged between 9 and 11, with tens of thousands of young actors auditioning for the lead roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione.
After months of auditions, producers selected Dominic alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
In a statement announcing the casting, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod said:
“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold.”
On stage with Voldemort
Although Dominic is a newcomer to international audiences, he already had some acting experience before Harry Potter. He appeared in stage productions in Scotland and performed alongside Ralph Fiennes in a production of Macbeth in Edinburgh in January 2024.
He also appeared in the Sky original comedy Glow and the ten-episode action-adventure series Gifted, which went to air in the UK in 2025.
Fandom reacts to casting
The reaction to Dominic’s casting has been largely positive. When HBO released the first official image of him wearing Harry’s iconic round glasses and Hogwarts robes, social media quickly lit up with excitement. One fan described him as “freaking adorable,” while many others commented on how closely he resembles the Harry Potter many readers imagined from the books.
There has also been strong support from the original Harry Potter cast. Daniel Radcliffe revealed that he personally wrote Dominic a letter after the casting announcement. Radcliffe said:
“I hope you have the best time.”
Dominic himself has spoken about how meaningful the role is to him. In one early interview, he described Harry Potter as:
“The role of my dreams.”
With the first series, Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone, set to air from Christmas, Dominic McLaughlin is about to become one of the most recognisable young actors in the world. For Harry Potter fans, all eyes are now on the boy chosen to return to Hogwarts.
