Harry Potter series casts a Supergirl actor as Nearly Headless Nick, John Cleese’s old role
HBO taps a DCU alum to haunt Hogwarts as one of its most recognisable ghosts — a role John Cleese played — in upcoming Harry Potter TV show.
Bit of a shake-up in the Harry Potter world, as the forthcoming HBO TV series has just nabbed another familiar face for its endlessly growing cast. This time, they've ticked off one of Hogwarts' most recognisable floaters—Nearly Headless Nick. For those of us with slightly longer memories, that's the kindly-but-macabre Gryffindor ghost John Cleese used to play in the films. Now, they've handed the reins (or should I say, the ruff?) to Leo Bill.
You'd be forgiven for going, 'Leo who?' If you blinked during Supergirl—the recent DCU entry—you might've spotted him as Big Furry Gremlin, which is about as Hollywood a character trajectory as it gets. Now he'll have the slightly more dignified task of haunting Gryffindor Tower with his signature lopsided head.
Leo Bill takes on the role of Nearly Headless Nick in HBO's new Harry Potter series, following John Cleese's run in the original films.
For the uninitiated, Nearly Headless Nick (real name Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington—bit of a mouthful) serves as Gryffindor Tower's resident ghost, doomed forever to wander the corridors due to a botched beheading centuries ago. He crops up fairly often, usually to offer Harry and the gang unwanted historical trivia, mild spookiness, or just general ethereal support.
The Full Hogwarts Line-Up
The show isn't short on recognisable (or, in some cases, eyebrow-raising) castings. Here's how the main crew currently shakes out:
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton taking on Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- John Lithgow steps into Albus Dumbledore's boots
- Janet McTeer is Minerva McGonagall
- Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
- Nick Frost handling Hagrid duties
- Warwick Davis returns as Professor Flitwick
- Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy
- Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom
- Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley
- Johnny Flynn taking up Lucius Malfoy
- Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby round out the Dursleys as Petunia and Vernon
If you've lost track, that's a hell of a mix of fresh faces and old hands—plus a few left-field choices (Nick Frost as Hagrid, really?).
Behind the Camera
Francesca Gardiner is heading up the show as lead writer and executive producer, while Mark Mylod (who you'll know if you've watched pretty much any prestige telly in recent years) is pulling double duty as director on several episodes and executive producer. Of course, the bigwigs from the original films are back in the mix, including J.K. Rowling, David Heyman, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts overseeing from the producer level. The production itself is a team-up between Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.
The plan this time is to adapt all seven books across multiple seasons. The first batch is set for eight episodes, and—because you can't have Hogwarts without a bit of forced yuletide nostalgia—HBO is slotting the series for a Christmas 2026 debut on HBO and HBO Max.
The inaugural season of HBO's Harry Potter series will run for eight episodes and debut in December 2026.