Who is Luke Thallon? Harry Potter series playing Professor Quirrell
The actor has been cast as Quirinus Quirrell in the TV series.
After months of speculation, HBO has announced several stars set to play the wizarding world’s central characters in its forthcoming Harry Potter TV series.
The company announced on Monday (14th April) that John Lithgow would play Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer would star as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu would play Severus Snape, and Nick Frost would appear as Rubeus Hagrid.
Alongside those four series regulars, guest/recurring cast additions include Luke Thallon, who is currently best known in the theatre world but whose role in the series will no doubt launch him to stardom.
Wondering who Luke Thallon is and who he's set to play in the upcoming series? Read on for everything you need to know.
Who is Luke Thallon?
Thallon is an actor who is currently best known in the theatre world.
He made his professional debut in Mike Bartlett’s production of Albion at the Almeida in 2017 during his final year at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
How old is Luke Thallon?
Thallon is 29 years old.
What else has Luke Thallon starred in?
Thallon has a number of theatre roles under his belt, and played the part of Roman Abramovich in Peter Morgan’s 2024 play Patriots.
He also appeared in disparate roles in Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt in 2020, a performance which won him the Clarence Derwent Award.
Most recently, Thallon recently starred as Hamlet in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2025 production, starring alongside Jared Harris as Claudius, Nancy Carroll as Gertrude, and more.
Talking about playing Hamlet for the RSC, he previously told Deadline that he turned down work three months ahead of rehearsal to prepare.
He also said he’d "love to do something on screen".
"I really would. There’s no pretending that I turn lots of things down, but I’m just waiting for the reason to go to screen to be as exciting and as fulfilling as the things I get to do on stage now."
Alongside his theatre credits, Thallon has also starred in radio shows including A Room With A View and The Age of Anxiety.
He also previously appeared in The Favourite in an uncredited role.
Who is Luke Thallon playing in the Harry Potter TV series?
Thallon has been cast as Quirinus Quirrell in the Harry Potter TV series, taking over from Ian Hart, who played the character in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Quirinus is Harry, Ron and Hermione's first Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when they begin Hogwarts in year one.
Is Luke Thallon on Instagram or Twitter?
No, Thallon doesn't currently use social media.
The Harry Potter series will stream on Max.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
