Snape calls Harry Potter 'racist as hell' in “SNL” sketch mocking new HBO series: 'The Proud Boy Who Lived'

Shania RussellSun, April 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC

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Kam Patterson as Professor Snape on 'SNL'; Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter in HBO's upcoming seriesCredit: NBC; Aidan Monaghan/HBO

Saturday Night Live is diving head first into the discourse surrounding one of Harry Potter's most controversial casting choices.

During last night's Weekend Update segment, Kam Patterson stepped into the role of Professor Snape — a nod to the fact that the upcoming HBO series will see the previously white character portrayed by Black actor Paapa Essiedu. And like many Potter fans and critics, SNL has some interesting observations to share about what that change means for the character.

"Good evening, Mr. Jost," Patterson began his appearance as Snape, trying out a faux-British accent. Immediately dropping it, he quipped, "Nah, I’m playing. I don’t talk like that, bro. It’s called code-switching. Codio switchio!"

Jost then asks how the latest year at Hogwarts went, to which Snape replies, "Not great. We got this new kid. His name is Harry Potter, and he’s racist as hell."

As the crowd laughed, he explained, "Harry Potter — or, the Proud Boy Who Lived — spent the whole year telling everybody that the school’s only Black teacher was secretly evil."

Professor Snape (Kam Patterson) calls Harry Potter racist on 'Weekend Update'Credit: NBC

Pointing to the plot of the first book, Jost said, "I think he’s just worried because he knows someone’s trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone."

"So. Somebody stole something…" Snape began slowly, prompting more laughter from the audience. "...And the number one suspect is Black Snape?"

Showing a picture of the first movie's actual villain, Professor Quirrell, he continued, "They didn’t even look at the white guy in the turban! So offensive. He’s got wizard Hitler on the back of his head!"

Offering some sympathy, Jost replied, "I’m really sorry that he just jumped to conclusions like that." To which Snape replied, "It happens all the time."

Laying out a few other issues — such as the decision to have him teach "the Dark arts" — Snape declared, "The whole Wizarding World is racist. There’s one other Black guy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a name I’m guessing they got out of the Wu-Tang name generator."

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After complaining that they dressed Shacklebolt as "a Haitian cab driver," he added, "And why they got to put 'shackle' in his name? That’s crazy, man. Shackle? Shackle!"

To this, Jost (reluctantly) said, "Well, for the very first time, I’m starting to think J.K. Rowling might be problematic."

Paapa Essiedu in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'Credit: Lara Cornell/HBO

Snape wasn't done lamenting the issues of the wizarding world, complaining, "We have magic, we have wands that can do anything, and people in my world still have slaves."

When Jost argued that they aren't slaves but "house elves," Snape replied, "Yes, some folk got house elves. I bet you didn’t know they got field elves, too. They didn’t put that in the book, huh, Colin?"

By the end, Snape had just one final message to deliver, directly to a certain Hogwarts student. Turning dramatically to the camera, he said, "I do have one final thing I'd like to say to Harry Potter… Boy, your mama was thick as hell, dog. I miss her so much."

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Essiedu's casting has been a source of controversy for the adaptation (one of many). After the Black actor was chosen for the role, some were quick to point out that altering the character's race changes the dynamic of his interactions with the young protagonist, who mistrusts the Potions professor without much evidence to back up his assumptions. Fans and critics alike have speculated about whether or not the show will address those implications, especially as the series goes on to cover the character's dark and complicated backstory.

At the same time, the casting sparked a wave of racist backlash against the actor, who is English of Ghanian descent, from those who argued that the character was written as white and should remain so.

Essiedu recently revealed the extent of the hatred he's received, which has included actual death threats. "I've been told, 'Quit, or I'll murder you,'" the actor told The Times in March. "The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, 'I'm going to come to your house and kill you.' While I hope I'll be okay, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job."

Watch SNL parody the issue in the Weekend Update clip above.

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