HBO’s Harry Potter series casts Sorting Hat, Nearly Headless Nick, and other Hogwarts ghosts

HBO’s new Harry Potter series, based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, has cast actors to voice several Hogwarts ghosts and the Sorting Hat, Variety reported. David Threlfall will voice the Sorting Hat, while Leo Bill will portray Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost.

Other cast members include Andrew Brooke as The Bloody Baron, the Slytherin House ghost; Daniel Fearn as The Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost; and Laura Smyth as The Fat Lady, the portrait guarding Gryffindor House, according to Variety and Deadline.

The series features an expansive cast including Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. The show is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on December 25, 2026.

Representatives for the actors include Curtis Brown, United Agents, GDA Management, and Independent Talent, as noted by Variety.

Deadline also highlighted David Threlfall’s role as the Sorting Hat and confirmed the casting of the ghosts and the Fat Lady for the series.