As thousands of kids audition for HBO’s Harry Potter show and casting rumors continue to come out about the adult characters, fans are discussing what changes they’d be OK with and elements that must stay the same. Overall, the general consensus seems to be that differences in characters' looks are totally fine as long as whoever is cast has the same energy as the witch, wizard or muggle they’ll be playing. However, there is one physical attribute many would like to stay the same, and that’s, of course, the notion that the Weasleys must be ginger.
When asked about the show’s commitment to inclusive and diverse casting on Reddit, fans responded with their takes. For the most part, they just want the ensemble to have the same energy as the beloved characters from the books. However, one non-negotiable for many has to do with the Weasley family’s hair color, as Reddit user tone-of-surprise wrote:
For physical traits Idc as long as Ron/the Weasley’s are ginger, I feel like that would be too much of a disruption if they aren’t. Their red hair is iconic to their characters, when you think of red heads you think Ron and the Weasley’s, I just can’t imagine them not being red heads. Honestly at the end of the day I just want the trio to feel like the characters from the books.
Ron Weasley and his large family are famously gingers. That’s how it is in the books, and that’s how it is in the Harry Potter movies (which you can watch with a Max subscription or Peacock subscription) too.
In the same way we associate Harry’s round glasses or Malfoy’s stark white hair with their characters, the same can be said about the Weasley family and their red hair. So, while many are willing and ready to accept changes in casting for this upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, the gingers must stay, as many fans wrote:
- I couldn't care less what race they are. Only that weasleys are ginger. -Asdam90
- As long as Harry has the same color eyes as Lily (don't even care if they're green), Ron is a ginger and Hermione has large front teeth, this is a non-issue for me. -LibraLynx98
- …If Ron doesn't have straight-up fiery red hair, I'm still good with any other shade of ginger. -Scipios_Rider16
- I wouldn't mind anything. The Percy Jackson series pulled off a cast which looks nothing like their characters by using the good acting. I would just want the Weasleys to be redheads. -Annabeth_McGrace
I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to fathom the Weasleys with another hair color. Rupert Grint and the Weasley actors in the cast of Harry Potter all rocked the red hair in the films, and they looked perfect. Seeing anything else would be jarring.
However, I trust HBO to make the right decisions and cast the perfect actors for the parts. If that means changing hair color, so be it.
So far, I’ve been on board with the casting rumors that have come out and the changes they’d make. For instance, Paapa Essiedu, who is Black, is rumored to be playing Snape, a character who was white in the films. However, he fits the age range of the potions master, and his filmography tells me he’d play this emotionally complex professor brilliantly. Overall, I love the idea of seeing a more diverse set of actors in these roles, and I’m not married to one specific physical attribute or race for most of them.
However, admittedly, I can agree with the fans that when it comes to the Weasleys, they should be ginger if possible.
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