Ben Barnes is well aware that he has become the internet’s top choice to play Sirius Black in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot—and he finds the enthusiasm both amusing and flattering.
“You wouldn’t believe the number of Harry Potter books I’ve signed or the Gryffindor scarves I’ve been gifted,” Barnes shared while promoting his debut album, Where the Light Gets In. “The amount of fan fiction I’ve been enthusiastically included in is incredible.”
Fancasting—where fans select actors they would love to see portray their favorite book characters—is nothing new. However, it’s rare for the buzz to last for decades, as it has for Barnes.
The phenomenon has become so widespread that when searching his name on Google, one of the top suggested queries is: Who does Ben Barnes play in Harry Potter?
“It’s been going on for 20 years—people kindly saying they would’ve loved for me to play a young version of Sirius Black in Harry Potter,” Barnes, now 43, said. “But now it’s been happening for so long that I’m actually the age of the character in the books.”
The Marauders Spinoff Fans Have Always Wanted
For years, Harry Potter fans have campaigned for a spinoff centered on the Marauders—Harry’s parents, James and Lily, and their close friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, during their time at Hogwarts. In the mid-2000s, Barnes was a fan-favorite choice for a young Sirius, often alongside Andrew Garfield as Remus and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James.
When Potterheads began asking him to sign their Gryffindor-themed memorabilia, Barnes initially assumed they were confusing franchises—after all, he famously played Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia films.
“Now I understand that it was this group—Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrew Garfield, and myself—that fans were really keen to see as these characters when those movies first came out,” Barnes explained.
He also admitted he’s a “massive” admirer of Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black in the original Harry Potter films, and that he loved the books.
Interestingly, despite the renewed buzz surrounding the HBO Harry Potter reboot, neither Garfield nor Taylor-Johnson have been widely discussed in connection with their old fancast roles. (Garfield, for his part, recently told reporters he’d “consider any role offered” in the reboot.)
“I’ve gotten to know both of them a little over the years, but we’ve never actually talked about this,” Barnes shared.
Ben Barnes (Photo: Getty Images)Could Barnes Actually Play Sirius Black?
Though the fan enthusiasm remains strong, Barnes confirmed that he has not yet spoken to Warner Bros. about the possibility of joining the reboot. However, he’s open to the idea—especially when the series eventually adapts Prisoner of Azkaban, where Sirius Black is first introduced.
“They’re books that I love, and at least half my career has been built on literary adaptations that I’ve loved,” he explained. “So I see no reason why this would be any different—but no, I haven’t had any conversations about it yet.”
Barnes appreciates the ongoing support from fans, though he admits it’s “quite weird” to receive so much recognition for a role he’s never actually played.
Barnes’ Music Career and Fan Connection
While Harry Potter fans continue to campaign for Barnes to step into the role of Sirius Black, many of those same fans are also showing up at his music performances. Earlier this month, Barnes released his debut album, Where the Light Gets In, and has been touring across the U.S.
The Shadow & Bone star admitted that transitioning from acting—where he portrays other people’s stories—to performing his own music was daunting.
“I think a lot of actors love their craft because it allows them to tell other people’s stories, to step into someone else’s shoes for a while,” Barnes reflected. “With music, there’s no hiding. It’s just you on stage, performing lyrics that you wrote about your own life. To have people come out and support that—it’s been really rewarding.”
The warm reception from the music community has also made the experience even more special. “They’re like, ‘Yes, I’ll come and play on that. Yes, I’ll sing that song with you.’ It’s been an incredibly supportive environment,” he said.
Fans Are Embracing His Music in Unexpected Ways
Barnes has also been surprised by how fans have connected with his songs in personal and unexpected ways.
“Watching people do covers of my songs, dance in their kitchens, or create little videos of them hugging their best friends—it’s been amazing,” he said. “There’s also been an awful lot of pole dancing. I have no idea where that comes from, but it’s been fascinating to see what people create to my music.”
More than anything, Barnes hopes his music inspires people to take risks and follow their passions, no matter where they are in life.
“If I can do pop music as a man in his 40s, then people can absolutely go after the things they love,” he said. “I talk about that in my shows a little bit, but seeing it happen in real time—watching people actually go out and do the things they love to the soundtrack I made—that’s been incredibly rewarding.”
Barnes will perform in New York City on Saturday, February 1, before heading to the U.K. and Europe for the next leg of his tour. Tickets are available now.