Bertie Carvel reveals that the length of his Harry Potter series role depends on this deciding factor

As the HBO Harry Potter series approaches its filming date, it appears that the show, which will adapt the first book, will introduce some characters from later books.

Case in point, the character of Cornelius Fudge, who was originally introduced in the second book, Chamber of Secrets. The character was played by actor Robert Hardy in the movies, and 47-year-old Bertie Carvel is playing the character in the show.

Deadline was the first outlet to publish a report on the 47-year-old British actor's involvement in the series on June 8, 2025. The very next day, WBD officially confirmed that Carvel is indeed playing the British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, in the HBO Harry Potter series. Now, the actor has sat down for an interview with the British newspaper The Times this week, where he spoke about his role.

Carvel shared that his return in the subsequent seasons of the Harry Potter series relies on the fan reaction to his performance in the first season.

What did Bertie Carvel say about the Harry Potter role?

As mentioned before, Bertie Carvel sat down for an interview with The Times. In that interview, Carvel touched upon playing Fudge in the Harry Potter series. However, in the same interview, the actor who plays the small but key role revealed that his tenure with the HBO series is dependent on what the fans feel about his role in season 1.

The actor said this to the interviewer about his tenure in the upcoming HBO Wizarding World series:

"I am coming at it with a really open mind. Whether I come back [after the first series] probably depends on what the fans think. I mean, I’ll be furious if it’s not an amazing part."

But it should be noted that it is highly unlikely that Carvel won't return as Fudge in the first six seasons if the series follows the books closely.

Cornelius Fudge's role is between books two to six:

In the books, we meet Cornelius Fudge for the first time in the second book, Chamber of Secrets. However, it seems that the HBO series is slowly planting seeds for future characters right in the first season, considering we know how the original storylines play out.

Moreover, after appearing in the second book, Fudge appeared in the subsequent books until the first chapter of Half-Blood Prince, where it is revealed that he resigned from the post of the Minister of Magic for his failure to stop the return of Voldemort. After that, we hear nothing about him. Thus, if Carvel's performance is well-received, we may see all of these play out in the HBO series.

However, if you are hoping to see more of Bertie Carvel as Fudge in the series, you probably have to wait till the third and fifth seasons, in which he will have a larger role to play. Thus, his role might be minuscule in the first season. A June 09, 2025, press release described the upcoming series like this:

"The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. Each season will bring Harry Potter to new and existing audiences, streaming exclusively on HBO Max where it’s available, including in upcoming launch markets Germany, Italy and the UK. The original classic films will remain available to watch around the world."

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