Quirrell's casting in HBO's Harry Potter fixes a major movie issue from The Sorcerer's Stone narrative

Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter plays one of the more crucial roles in the first installment of the famous series. The bestselling books by JK Rowling mention the character as a young professor, which made most readers imagine him as a young-looking man in his twenties.

In the movie Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, the role was portrayed by Ian Hart, who was around 37 years old then. While he gave a memorable and brilliant performance, many of the fans expected the character to be younger. However, it looks like the upcoming HBO’s Harry Potter series has fixed it.

The HBO show recently confirmed six cast members who would be joining the much-anticipated series. The role of Professor Quirrell will be portrayed by actor Luke Thallon. The actor is 29 years old, which would make the character lore-accurate for the readers.

Who is Professor Quirrell in Harry Potter?

Quirinus Quirrell is the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was previously a Muggle Studies teacher, before he decided to take sabbatical for a year. He joins back in the new role during Harry Potter’s first year at the school.

A stuttering and unsuspicious Quirrell never appears as a threat initially. Hagrid would share that Quirrell was a bright Defence Against the Dark Arts student but changed after he met some vampires in the Black Forest.

Quirrell meets Voldemort during his journey to Albania. The Dark wizard manipulates him with the promises of great power. Quirrell lets him hide behind his turban. At the end of Sorcerer’s Stone, it is revealed that Quirrell tried to kill Harry unsuccessfully. Quirrell meets his end after being confronted by Harry in front of the Mirror of Erised, as Voldemort abandons his body, leaving the wizard to die.

How will the new casting affect the character of Professor Quirrell in HBO’s Harry Potter series?

Luke Thallon, who is slated to portray Professor Quirrell in the upcoming HBO’s Harry Potter series, is well-known for his theatre roles. He also starred in The Favourite. The actor is currently 29 years old.

Even though the books do not mention Professor Quirrell’s age, most of the readers assume that he is in his 20s as he is mentioned to be young and pale. Also, the storyline of Voldemort controlling him is more plausible knowing that he is young and didn’t know better.

While speaking to Harry Potter at the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Quirrell shares the following, about Voldemort’s hold on him,

“He is with me wherever I go… I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it ... Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me.”

Wanting to grab more power, Quirrell readily agrees to Voldemort’s request, which displays his inexperience and gullibility. As a young actor, Thallon will be able to portray the vulnerability of the character who gets easily pursuaded by Dark Lord’s words.

HBO’s Harry Potter series is currently in works at the network. The show is expected to start filming later this year and is set to debut in 2026.

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