Brendan Gleeson’s Advice for the HBO Harry Potter Cast: ‘Have a Ball’
Brendan Gleeson — the actor who brought grizzled, ever-vigilant Mad-Eye Moody to life across the Harry Potter films — has some words of wisdom for the cast stepping into the Wizarding World for HBO’s upcoming series.
Asked whether he had one piece of advice for the new actors as the reboot heads toward its end-of-year debut, Gleeson gave an answer that was equal parts cheeky and heartfelt. He started with a flat “no” — then offered the advice anyway:
“Have a ball. Follow your worst instincts and have a ball. It’s magical.”
From there, he tapped into what really makes the franchise work. Gleeson described Harry Potter as being all about the “suspension of disbelief about magic” — the idea that everyone willingly jumps in, and that collective buy-in is exactly what lets a cast create real magic simply by refusing to disbelieve it.
It’s a fitting note from a film veteran: the Wizarding World only casts its spell when everyone, performers and audience alike, chooses to believe. With the HBO series gearing up for its premiere later this year, it’s the kind of advice the next generation of Hogwarts actors might want to keep close.
Gleeson shared the thought in an interview with entertainment outlet ScreenTime, given while he promotes his next project — the upcoming Spider-Noir series, in which he plays the villain Silvermane opposite Nicolas Cage.
What do you make of Mad-Eye’s advice for the new cast? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow along for the latest Harry Potter news.
Source: Brendan Gleeson, speaking to ScreenTime (on X).
