Paapa Essiedu says that he received an onslaught of allegedly racist and violent criticism shortly after it was announced he would be playing Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series. "It really matters. The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, 'I'm going to come to your house and kill you," Essiedu, 35, told The Times of London in a Saturday, March 21, profile. "While I hope I'll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work.