Actor Nick Frost said that his path to the role of Rubeus Hagrid in the new Harry Potter series turned out to be unconventional. In an interview with The Guardian, Frost admitted that even before the official casting, he had tried to "conjure" the role through a kind of ritual.
During a Christmas marathon of the franchise films in 2024, the actor wrote the word "Hagrid" about 7,000 times. A few months later, he was invited to audition — and was ultimately cast in the role.
Frost emphasizes that he treats the character with great respect, especially given the contribution of the late Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the original screen adaptations. At the same time, the actor still intends to offer his own interpretation of the character. In a conversation with Collider, he explained his approach as follows:
"I’m not going to do something \"different\" — what matters here is respect for the source material. But within that, there is always room for details. I have always seen Hagrid as a kind, slightly lost, hot-tempered, funny, and very warm child. And the opportunity to devote a separate season to each book makes it possible to explore this character much more deeply. I’m really looking forward to it."
As another preparation detail, Frost said that he specifically learned knitting to reflect Hagrid’s hobby mentioned in the first book of the series — "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."
The premiere of the first season of the Harry Potter series is scheduled for 2027.