‘Harry Potter’ TV Show Taps ‘Game of Thrones’ Star for Gilderoy Lockhart Role in Season 2

Following the sudden departure of Nicholas Hoult, Max’s Harry Potter series has tapped Game of Thrones star Kit Harington to play Gilderoy Lockhart in Season 2.

According to Deadline, Harrington replaced Hoult, who was forced to leave the show due to film schedule conflicts. Harrington notably played Lockhart in the Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions last year.

The actor spoke about his interest in the Harry Potter books in the Audible featurette. “I read it, and like so many generations, I was entranced,” he said. “And then I was a huge fan all through my teenage years.”

Harrington further spoke about playing Lockhart. “I think there’s a little bit of Gilderoy in all of us,” he shared.

Lockhart, who is a famous author in the Wizarding World, was selected to be Hogwarts’ Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the series’ second book. He was later discovered to be a fraud after he admitted to Ron, Hermione and Harry that he never battled the creatures he wrote in his books. Instead, he used other wizards’ experiences and put a spell on them so he could take all the credit.

Lockhart’s spell against the trio ended up backfiring, with him being hit by the spell. He lost all of his memories and was dismissed from the school at the end of the book.

British actor Kenneth Branagh played the character in the Harry Potter film version.

Harry Potter TV series is set to star Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton. It will premiere on Christmas Day 2026.