Jason Isaacs recalls ‘thrill’ of joining ‘Harry Potter’ as Draco’s father

Even for a seasoned actor like Jason Isaacs, stepping into the wizarding world of Harry Potter came with a dose of magic—and major nerves. 

The White Lotus star opened up about his most jittery moments from the beloved franchise during a Broadway talkback on May 1, following a performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at New York City’s Lyric Theatre.

Isaacs, 61, didn’t have to face the stage alone. 

He was joined by three of the show’s current cast members—Aaron Bartz (Draco Malfoy), Erik Christopher Peterson (Scorpius), and Matthew James Thomas (Harry)—with Felicia Fitzpatrick from Audience Rewards leading the chat. 

But when it came to revealing the scariest part of joining the iconic film series, Isaacs got real.

“The most nerve-racking is that all of the actors in the films were my heroes,” Isaacs shared. “They’re people I queued up in the rain to watch on stage, mostly.”

Isaacs first appeared as Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets back in 2002—and yes, he definitely felt the pressure of holding his own among cinematic royalty.

“My very first proper day was with the late great Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two films,” Isaacs recalled. 

But their paths had already crossed in a less magical setting. 

“I went to drama school with his son, Jared Harris, and the days when Richard Harris came to watch us at drama school were days you wore four pairs of underpants.”

Being on set, Isaacs found himself constantly starstruck. “To be standing opposite [Harris] was incredible,” he said, still sounding a little awed all these years later.

And the star power didn’t stop there. As the series grew darker and deeper, the cast list grew more dazzling. 

“Cut to many years later … when we shot the courtyard scene with everybody, the big battle at the end, I looked around and there were just Oscar winners everywhere,” he said. “The thrill never wore off.”

We’re talking big names like Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Jim Broadbent, Julie Christie, Kenneth Branagh, and the unforgettable Maggie Smith. 

“Every day when you go to work on a film set, you get a piece of paper, it’s called a call sheet. It’s got everybody’s name on it and what scenes they’re doing that day. And I still, by the end of it, couldn’t believe that my name was on the list with all of those actors because they’re still my acting heroes.”

Although his wand-wielding days are behind him, Isaacs’ magical bond with his on-screen son Tom Felton remains strong. 

Felton told People, “I still call him ‘Dad’,” adding that the two are “very close.”