Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd has addressed speculation that he has been cast to play Arthur Weasley in HBO's highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series. Rumors about McKidd's potential casting recently surfaced when eagle-eyed fans noticed that Gracie Cochrane, the young actor set to play Ginny Weasley in the forthcoming adaptation, started following the Scottish actor on Instagram.
Asked about the growing online chatter in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, McKidd, 52, who on Thursday departed the long-running medical drama after 18 years as Dr. Owen Hunt, answered coyly. "I saw something about this," he said. "And listen, I would never say never. I'm a massive Harry Potter fan."
He revealed that years ago, when he was starring in the short-lived sci-fi series Journeymen, Harry Potter director David Yates sent him a letter, offering him a role in the final two films: 2010's Deathly Hallows — Part 1 and Part 2 (2011). At the time, however, he was "under contract" and was unable to do anything else as he was still waiting to hear if Journeymen was being "picked up [for season 2] or not." Ultimately, the show was not picked up.
"So I missed out on that chance of being in the final two Harry Potter films back in the day, which still makes me sad," McKidd admitted, adding that the "idea of getting another crack at that, because I was asked to be in it once, already gets me very excited."
He remembered being offered the role of "some kind of werewolf character." In the final three films of the beloved wizarding franchise, Dave Legeno is introduced as Fenrir Greyback, the evil, human-form werewolf Death Eater enforcer.
"So listen, if those rumors can turn into something real, I would be very happy about that," he said.
While HBO's Harry Potter series has revealed a majority of its main cast, including most of the Weasley clan, the casting for the family patriarch has yet to be announced. Arthur does not appear until the second book, and since the show intends to adapt each of J. K. Rowling's seven books over the course of a season, it's likely the casting will be unveiled in due time. British actor Katherine Parkinson has been cast to play Arthur's wife, Molly Weasley.
The series, which is scheduled to debut this Christmas, has already been renewed for a second season, with HBO confirming that filming for season two will begin this fall.
This week, McKidd officially bid an emotional farewell to Grey's Anatomy in the season 22 finale. "Grey's Anatomy has been a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally, and I'm deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years," the actor said in an earlier statement. "Playing Dr. Owen Hunt and directing on the show have both shaped me enormously, and I've had the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of people throughout that time. I'm particularly thankful to Shonda Rhimes for creating Owen, and for the encouragement she gave me as I stepped into directing."
