SNL Skewers New Snape Casting, Calls Harry Potter Racist

Well, you had to know it was only a matter of time before SNL weighed in on the new HBO Harry Potter series—and sure enough, they went right for the jugular about the casting shake-up. In case you missed the memo, Paapa Essiedu is stepping into the Severus Snape role that Alan Rickman made iconic. Some folks have been clutching their pearls about it (yes, a Black Snape is apparently earth-shattering for certain corners of the internet), and the always-ready-to-poke SNL writers couldn’t resist poking at the controversy—and at J.K. Rowling herself.

SNL Skewers the 'Black Snape' Casting (and Rowling, Too)

Saturday night’s episode was pretty much made for social media recaps. Colin Jost brought on Kam Patterson as 'Black Snape,' who wasted no time mocking both the Hogwarts experience and the larger conversation around the casting.

The bit kicks off with Snape putting on a rather dramatic accent—then immediately dropping it with a 'Nah, that’s not really me.' It’s a smart jab at how actors of color are sometimes expected to play up to certain stereotypes. Jost goes full clueless interviewer and asks Snape how his year teaching at Hogwarts went.

Snape’s answer doesn’t sugarcoat anything:

'Not great. We got this new kid. His name's Harry Potter. And he's racist as hell.'

Jost seems genuinely confused: 'Wait, Harry Potter is racist?'

Black Snape runs with it: 'Yes, Harry Potter, or "The Proud Boy Who Lived," spent the whole year telling everybody that the school’s only Black teacher was secretly evil.'

Jost tries to walk it back, bringing up the Sorcerer’s Stone storyline, but Snape isn’t having any of it:

'So...somebody stole something...and the number-one suspect is Black Snape? He didn’t even look in the direction of the white guy in the turban. Show the picture! He’s got Wizard Hitler on the back of his head!'

The Satire Gets Even Sharper

The sketch really doesn’t let up. Snape points out that as soon as he arrived at Hogwarts, he was told, 'You’re the professor of the dark arts.' Not exactly subtle. He goes on to name-drop Kingsley Shacklebolt—the other notable Black character in the series—suggesting his name sounds suspiciously like something spit out by a Wu-Tang name generator.

And when Jost finally says, 'Alright, yes, well, for the very first time, I'm starting to think that J.K. Rowling might be problematic,' you know exactly who the last laugh is aimed at.

What’s Actually Happening with the New Harry Potter?

• The new HBO Harry Potter series is officially happening, with Paapa Essiedu taking on Severus Snape (previously played by Alan Rickman).
• The series is supposed to launch on HBO in the US and on HBO Max worldwide starting December 25, 2026—plenty of time for everyone to argue online about every new cast member.
• In the meantime, SNL is here to roast both the show’s decisions and the larger, ongoing controversies swirling around Rowling and the Wizarding World.

Bottom line: expect more sketches, more think pieces, and a lot more drama before a single new spell gets cast.