Nick Frost teases a different Hagrid in HBO reboot

Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid in HBO's Harry Potter reboot and says he drew on John Coffey from Stephen King’s The Green Mile, calling Coffey "huge, violent but childlike." Frost acknowledged that his take might unsettle some viewers: "Some people won’t like it ...

They’ll go, 'Not my Hagrid.' And that is all right." Many fans remember Robbie Coltrane’s portrayal as a warm, gentle presence, so linking Hagrid to violence will be jarring for some. He also stressed he did not state Hagrid is inherently violent and pointed to the series’ longer format—each book told through eight one-hour episodes rather than a single feature-length movie—as a reason to explore new facets.

"I've tried to take what Robbie did and honor that … but also I’ve got eight hours here each series, while Robbie had two and a half – there has to be a bit more to him ... So: he’s from Bristol.

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