Kevin McKidd Responds to Fan Speculation That He'll Play Arthur Weasley in HBO's Harry Potter Series

Could Kevin McKidd be trading the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial for the corridors of Hogwarts? The actor isn't ruling it out.

Following his recent departure from Grey's Anatomy after 18 seasons, McKidd has become the subject of fresh fan speculation that he could be cast as Arthur Weasley in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor weighed in on the chatter for the first time.

"I saw something about this. And listen, I would never say never. I'm a massive Harry Potter fan," McKidd told EW.

The rumors picked up steam, EW reports, after eagle-eyed fans noticed that Gracie Cochrane - the young actress set to play Ginny Weasley on the HBO series - recently started following McKidd on Instagram. That small social media breadcrumb was enough to send Potter fans into overdrive online.

While McKidd played coy about whether the speculation has any basis in reality, he did share a poignant piece of franchise history with EW: he was very nearly part of the original film series. According to the actor, director David Yates once offered him a role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2, but contractual obligations got in the way.

"When I did a show called Journeyman before Grey's, we were on the bubble and waiting to find out if we we're picked up [for season 2] or not. So I was under contract and [director] David Yates sent me a letter offering me a role in the final two Harry Potter films, and I was unable to do it because I was waiting to hear if Journeyman was picked up or not, and then it was not picked up," McKidd recalled to EW. "So I missed out on that chance of being in the final two Harry Potter films back in the day, which still makes me sad."

Per EW, McKidd noted that the role would have been "some kind of werewolf character" - likely Fenrir Greyback, which ultimately went to the late Dave Legeno.

"The idea of getting another crack at that, because I was asked to be in it once, already gets me very excited," he added. "So listen, if those rumors can turn into something real, I would be very happy about that."

HBO first announced the Harry Potter series in 2023, with plans for each season to adapt one of J.K. Rowling's seven novels. The young trio at the heart of the show — Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione — was confirmed in 2025, EW notes. Casting for Arthur Weasley has not yet been officially announced, which tracks with the production timeline: the patriarch of the Weasley clan isn't formally introduced until the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

McKidd's final Grey's Anatomy episode aired earlier this month, capping nearly two decades on the medical drama. He directed the Season 22 finale himself, which sent his character, Owen Hunt, off to Paris with longtime love Teddy Altman (Kim Raver). Whether his next chapter involves a trip to The Burrow remains to be seen — but if McKidd has anything to say about it, the door is very much open.