Kit Harington steps in for Nicholas Hoult in new Harry Potter role

Kit Harington has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO's Harry Potter series. The network announced the hiring shortly after confirming that Nicholas Hoult would leave the production. Hoult had been revealed as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor just prior to the announcement of his exit. The change in direction was attributed to scheduling conflicts with Hoult's existing acting commitments, rather than a creative decision by the production team.

Harington will portray the character in the season adapted from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in J.K. Rowling's series. Lockhart is a wizard who arrives at Hogwarts with a celebrated reputation, though his actual abilities prove less impressive than advertised. Kenneth Branagh previously played the role in the 2002 film adaptation. Harington is not new to the character, having voiced Lockhart in Audible's full-cast audio adaptations. That audio release for Chamber of Secrets came out in 2025.

The actor is best known for his role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. He has also returned to HBO in recent years for a part in the drama Industry. The Harry Potter series is set to premiere on Dec. 25. Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter, while Arabella Stanton is Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout is Ron Weasley. John Lithgow portrays Albus Dumbledore. Paapa Essiedu plays Severus Snape, and Janet McTeer takes on the role of Minerva McGonagall.

The second season follows the narrative of the second installment in the franchise. Harington's casting places a familiar face in front of the camera for a role he has already performed in audio form. The production team has finalized the core cast for the upcoming holiday release. Viewers in Travis County will have access to the stream starting on Christmas Day. The series continues to expand its cast with these recent additions and changes.