Harry Potter TV series confirms major castings for key characters in show's mythology

The Harry Potter TV series has cast three new major roles ahead of the release of the first season – based on the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The HBO Max series, based on the books by JK Rowling, is set to premiere on Christmas Day, and ahead of the release they have announced three new faces joining the cast.

In one of the biggest key roles in young Harry’s story, Jasper Talbot and Hannah Chinn have been confirmed to be playing James and Lily Potter – the boy wizard’s ill-fated parents.

Talbot is a stage actor with limited on-screen credits, including an episode of Broadchurch in 2017.

Chinn was last seen in Sky One’s Possession, fittingly alongside Bel Powley, who plays Lily’s muggle sister Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter universe.

Her other credits include Malpractice, Domina, The Lady, and movie The Conjuring: Last Rites.

Also joining the cast is Harry Gilby, who adds to the Weasley clan as eldest son, Charlie.

Gilby’s previous credits include Prime Video’s Malice, BBC Three’s Boarders, and playing Athelstan in The Last Kingdom.

He is next set to appear on screen as George Cadbury in the historical bio-series, based on the legendary chocolate manufacturing family, The Cadburys.

The character of Charlie completes the Wizarding World's Weasley clan, led by mum Molly (Katherine Parkinson) and dad Arthur (Rafe Spall), and their children Ron (Alastair Stout), Ginny (Gracie Cochrane), twins Fred and George (Tristan and Gabriel Harland), and Percy (Ruari Spooner).

All three will appear in the upcoming adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where Dominic McLaughlin will lead the cast as the titular Boy Who Lived.

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Harry Potter launches on Christmas Day (25 December 2025) on HBO Max.

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Authors

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.