Billy Barratt has been cast as Tom Riddle in HBO's Harry Potter TV series. Lenny Rush will play Dobby, and Bonnie Hill takes over Ginny Weasley for the second season. HBO is filling three of the show’s most watched roles at once, and Barratt arrives with a credential few young actors can match.
At age 13, Barratt became the youngest winner of the International Emmy Award for best actor for Responsible Child. That history gives the Tom Riddle casting more weight than a standard recast: HBO is putting the role of young Lord Voldemort into the hands of an actor already known for winning at the highest TV level before adulthood.
Tom Riddle and Dobby
Barratt is the first actor cast as Voldemort in the new adaptation, which makes Tom Riddle the production's clearest sign yet of how it plans to handle the darker end of the story. Dobby's casting with Rush adds another key piece to season two, and it gives HBO a way to keep the ensemble moving without pausing the broader roll-out of the Harry Potter TV series.
The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner, with Mark Mylod executive producing and directing multiple episodes. It is in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout anchor the core trio, so this new group is arriving into a cast that is already taking shape around season two.
Bonnie Hill as Ginny Weasley
Bonnie Hill stepping into Ginny Weasley follows Gracie Cochrane stepping away after season one. That shift matters because Ginny is not being added for the first time; the role is being moved into a second-season shape after an earlier departure. HBO had previously said, “Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie Cochrane has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one.”
HBO also said, “Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience.” It added, “Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.” That wording leaves the studio with a clean recast path, and Hill now carries the role into the next phase of production.
Season two's missing piece
HBO has not yet said who will play the grown-up version of Voldemort. For now, Barratt's casting establishes the younger version of the character, while the adult incarnation remains the piece still to be paired with it. The season's new description says Harry must find the courage to prove himself against the darkest wizard of all, which makes the Voldemort casting one of the few remaining major story mechanics the production still has to lock down.
