‘Harry Potter’s Janet McTeer on Series Scale and Taking Over from Maggie Smith

The new TV series is expected to be a major hit for HBO. In a recent podcast interview, the actress who plays Minerva McGonagall discussed how amazing it was to work on such an ambitious project, but also admitted she felt nervous taking on a role so famously played by Maggie Smith.

On the Pete McMurray Show podcast, the host asked McTeer about her experience working on the upcoming TV series adapted from J.K. Rowling’s books. She then shared her thoughts, saying:

It’s truly amazing – I still can’t quite believe it. Everything about the production is incredible, from the sets and costumes to the filming and performances. The child actors are phenomenal, and the adult cast playing witches and wizards are perfect. I honestly feel like I’m dreaming every day. Even just driving to the studio lot, where they built Hogwarts and everything, is overwhelming because the scale of it all is so massive.

The experienced actress explained she initially felt a lot of pressure accepting the role, as it was so famously played by Maggie Smith, whom she greatly admires. She then added:

I found it helpful to just concentrate on each scene as it came. Otherwise, the weight of following in the footsteps of the original Professor McGonagall – someone I greatly admire – was intense. It wasn’t necessarily difficult, but more daunting, because Maggie Smith was so incredible in the role. Taking over from her felt like a huge responsibility, especially at first. Now, after filming for several months, I’m starting to feel much more comfortable with it.

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2026-02-11 15:35