Timothy played Peter Pettigrew in the film series, from 2004 to 2011.

OG Harry Potter star Timothy Spall’s son, Rafe, cast as Arthur Weasley in HBO series

Timothy played Peter Pettigrew in the film series, from 2004 to 2011.

By Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale is a senior writer at **. She has been working at EW since July 2026. Her work has previously appeared on Us Weekly and J-14.

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September 15, 2026 1:15 p.m. ET

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Rafe Spall (L) and Timothy Spall in 2014. Credit:

David M. Benett/Getty

- Timothy Spall’s son, Rafe Spall, was cast as Arthur Weasley in HBO’s *Harry Potter *series.

- Timothy played Peter Pettigrew in the original films.

- Rafe’s casting rounds out the Weasley family.

Timothy Spall is passing the *Harry Potter** *baton to his son, Rafe Spall.

HBO announced on Tuesday that Rafe would be taking on the role of Arthur Weasley for *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, the second season of the network’s upcoming *Harry Potter *series.

Mark Williams played the patriarch from 2002’s *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* all the way through to 2011’s *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2*.

Rafe’s casting news was announced alongside Molly Hewitt-Richards, who will play Moaning Myrtle, and Jasper Ambrose, set to play Colin Creevey.

The Sept. 15 announcement comes after Kit Harington joined the cast as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart (following Nicholas Hoult’s departure from the show). Young star Lenny Rush has been cast as Dobby and Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle.

Rafe’s casting rounds out the Weasley family (for now), which already includes Bonnie Hill as Ginny, Alastair Stout as Ron, Tristan Harland as Fred, Gabriel Harland as George, Ruari Spooner as Percy, and Katherine Parkinson as mother Molly. (Casting for Bill and Charlie Weasley, who appear later on in the *Harry Potter* books, has yet to be announced.)

Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley; Rafe Spall.

Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.; Courtesy of HBO Max

Fans were quick to clock on Tuesday that Rafe followed in his famous father’s footsteps when joining the *Harry Potter* universe. Timothy famously played Peter Pettigrew — or Wormtail, Voldemort’s loyal servant — in the original film series, based on J.K. Rowling’s bestselling books.

Months before Rafe’s casting was revealed, his dad spoke with ** sister site PEOPLE about playing the big bad character from 2004 to 2011.

“Peter is a weak character that wants to survive. I mean, he doesn’t ultimately, does he?” the actor said during the December 2025 interview. While Pettigrew has yet to be cast for the HBO series, Timothy did have some advice for whoever would be taking on the “despicable character.” The *Death Valley *actor noted that Pettigrew is “indicative of quite a lot of evil in general.”

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“I would say there is something very complex about somebody that is that evil and also kind of vulnerable at the same time. That’s what I liked about him,” he added, noting that “all actors have to make the part their own.”

Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger), and Stout lead the cast of HBO’s *Harry Potter* series, which released its first trailer on Sept. 2. The first season is titled *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*, like the series’ first book.

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Other notable names have been cast in the series, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, and Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley.

*Harry Potter* is set to premiere via HBO on Christmas Day. The show will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

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