The young actress who plays Ginny Weasley in HBO‘s Harry Potter series is leaving the show after its first season.
Gracie Cochrane, who was cast as the youngest of the Weasley children last year, will not return for the recently ordered second season. Season two will be based on on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the Harry Potter series.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one,” Cochrane and her family said in a statement. “Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to [showrunner] Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”
HBO said in its own statement, “We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best.”
Ginny has a fairly small presence in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book, but her role grows throughout the series. In The Chamber of Secrets, the character unwittingly opens the chamber while being controlled by Tom Riddle’s spirit, and later in the series she eventually (spoiler alert) becomes Harry’s girlfriend and wife. Bonnie Wright played the character in the Harry Potter film series.
Deadline first reported the news.
