Bill Nighy transforms into key Harry Potter character in new clip from new audiobook adaptations

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Bill Nighy, known for films like Love Actually, also appeared in the Harry Potter series. He played Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister for Magic, in the 2010 movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

He’s back with the latest Harry Potter audio drama, a full-cast adaptation of Half-Blood Prince, and TopMob has a sneak peek!

The short video showcases Bill Nighy stepping into the role of Professor Slughorn, the potions teacher at Hogwarts in the last two books of the series – a character previously played by Jim Broadbent in the movies. Hugh Laurie portrays Albus Dumbledore, Jaxon Knopf plays Harry Potter, and Cush Jumbo provides the narration.

Readers of the books and viewers of the films will immediately recognize this scene: Dumbledore and Harry visit Professor Slughorn, who is initially hidden by a clever disguise as an armchair in a messy room. Once Slughorn reveals himself, he and Dumbledore work together to tidy up the space.

You can listen to the clip right here:

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The full-cast audiobooks of the Harry Potter series began launching in November 2025, with a new book released on Audible each month. The sixth book is now available, and the seventh and final book will be released on May 12th.

Rhys Mulligan will play Ron Weasley, Nina Barker-Francis will be Hermione Granger, and Riz Ahmed will portray Professor Snape in The Half Blood Prince. Michelle Gomez will take on the role of Professor McGonagall, and Matthew Macfadyen will play Lord Voldemort.

Ruth Wilson portrays Bellatrix Lestrange, with Simon Pegg as Arthur Weasley, Leo Woodall as Bill Weasley, and Ambika Mod as Nymphadora Tonks.

New full-cast audiobooks are being released to coincide with the upcoming HBO TV series based on the books, which is set to premiere in December. A trailer for the highly anticipated series was released last month, revealing a stellar cast including Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

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As a big fan of the Harry Potter books, it’s been tough to follow the controversy surrounding JK Rowling. Basically, she’s shared some opinions on transgender rights that a lot of people disagree with. Back in 2020, she wrote a long piece explaining where she stands on issues of sex and gender, but groups like Stonewall, which support LGBTQ+ rights, strongly criticized it and challenged her views. It’s definitely a complicated situation and a bit disheartening when someone whose work you love expresses opinions that many find harmful.

As a long-time fan of J.K. Rowling’s work, I was really disheartened to see some of her views expressed on social media. Specifically, in a post on X (what used to be Twitter) earlier this year, she argued that the concept of transgender children isn’t valid and doesn’t believe anyone is born with the wrong gender. It’s a position that, frankly, feels pretty harmful and goes against a lot of what I believe in regarding inclusivity and acceptance.

In May 2025, J.K. Rowling created the JK Rowling Women’s Fund to provide financial support for legal battles focused on protecting women’s rights as defined by biological sex.

Stars of the Harry Potter films, like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have spoken out against J.K. Rowling’s views and expressed support for the transgender community. However, other actors from the series, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Jim Broadbent, have come to Rowling’s defense amidst the criticism she’s faced.

The full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out on Tuesday, April 14th. Check out our recommendations for the best audiobooks currently available on Audible.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the international production company Fremantle. He has a BA in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a journalism diploma.

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2026-04-14 13:05