Alfred Enoch, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films, has taken on a radically different role in the new Apple TV+ series Foundation. The 32-year-old actor portrays Raych, a rugged future-spy, in the big-budget sci-fi epic based on Isaac Asimov's novels.
Enoch, who was cast as a Gryffindor student at age 10, says he initially declined an audition for Harry Potter because he 'couldn't think of any black characters.' He later landed the part after performing at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Despite his minor role, Enoch gained cult status among fans, with many telling him 'I saw you and you looked like me.'
Since the Potter films ended, Enoch has graduated from Oxford University and built an enviable career in theatre and TV, including a leading role in the legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder. He describes that role as 'life-changing' and notes that working in the US gave him a new perspective on his career.
In Foundation, Enoch plays the adopted son of mathematician Hari Seldon, played by Jared Harris. The series follows a group of exiles trying to preserve civilisation as the Galactic Empire declines. Enoch praises the show's epic scale and his scenes with Harris, calling them 'very meaty.'
Enoch, whose father is actor William Russell, says he always wanted to act and acknowledges his privileged upbringing. He hopes to see more British stories told on screen, rather than feeling the need to adopt an American accent for work. Foundation is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
