Casting Harry Potter TV Show Reboot

Professor Severus Snape is so much more than meets the eye, thanks to his almost impassive levels of menace and snark, yet by the close of the story he is revealed to be so much more. The late, great Alan Rickman brought him to terrifying children in 2001, while Harry Lloyd would be more than capable of unnerving a whole new generation today.

Audiences may know him best from Game of Thrones, where he played the demented Viserys Targaryan, or Doctor Who, where he played the wicked Baines. His clipped speech, his frankly evil grin and intense eyes make him an easy choice for the role of Snape.

He is young enough to believably have been in school with Harry's parents, while still old enough to have lived (as we know Snape has!). But the way he is able to switch between charming and horrifying is a highly uncomfortable, yet incredibly watchable skill. He has the presence of an actor many years his senior, yet this is absolutely perfect for the role. Snape can't be outright evil, because a) why would he be employed as a teacher, even at Hogwarts? and b) there is no mystery to an out and out villain.

Lloyd left Game of Thrones far too soon - his turn as Viserys was the archetypal spoiled brat with far too much power. Dye the hair black, tone down the sword violence and you've got your Snape, nice and simple.