Noah Schnapp Shares How Fans Misidentify Him as Harry Potter: ‘Not Quite the Right Movie’
Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter’ (left); Noah Schnapp on April 22, 2025 in New York City.
Credit :
Murray Close/Warner Bros; Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Noah Schnapp’s Surprising Encounters with Harry Potter Fans
Noah Schnapp recently shared that he has been mistaken for Harry Potter, the character famously portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The 21-year-old actor remarked that this mix-up occurred "three times last year," a revelation that took him by surprise.
Schnapp was a guest on the December 3 episode of the talk show, where he discussed the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, a Netflix series he joined a decade ago when he was just 11. Over the years, the show has garnered a substantial following, leading to unique interactions for the cast.
"When we’re all together, it’s kind of insanity," Schnapp said, referring to public outings with his co-stars. "But I will say, actually, when I’m alone, I’ve been getting Harry Potter the past few years. It happened three times last year, which has never happened to me before."
Host Jimmy Fallon responded in disbelief, asking, “People think you’re Harry Potter?”
“Yeah,” Schnapp confirmed, relating his experiences with fans who approached him. “They’ll come up to me and they’ll be like, ‘I love your show. Thank you.’ And I’m like, ‘Thank you so much. I appreciate the support.’ And then they’re like, ‘I adore Harry Potter. I love the character.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, wrong franchise.’ ”
The comparison between Stranger Things and Harry Potter is not new. Fallon highlighted that “there are some similarities” between the two franchises, which Schnapp readily agreed with.
“‘The Boy Who Lived,’ ‘Zombie Boy,’” Schnapp noted, referencing both his character, Will Byers, and Harry Potter’s iconic title. “It kind of parallels.”
Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’.
Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros
This connection was echoed by Schnapp’s castmate, Cara Buono, in a recent interview, where she pointed out similarities between her character’s protective instincts in Stranger Things and those of Mrs. Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
"I love all the Harry Potter movies, I’ve been seeing that comparison," Buono stated. "No one would have seen that coming [from Molly Weasley], right? She was always a homemaker and, like, ‘Come in, Harry, sit down.’ She’s like a warm cup of tea. I’ve been enjoying that comparison."
The overlap between the two franchises was particularly evident in the recent play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which debuted in New York City after its successful London premiere in December 2023. The story was collaboratively crafted by Stranger Things creators and producers, including the Duffer Brothers, along with Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, further highlighting the interconnectedness of these beloved narratives.
Vol. 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 is currently available for streaming on Netflix, with Vol. 2 set to release on December 25. The highly anticipated finale will air on December 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
