New Hermione And Hockey Player Arabella Stanton Beat 32,000 Kids In 9-Round, 9-Month Audition Irrespective Of Ethnic Background, With Parents By Her Side
Andrew Adams
Published May 15, 2026
New Hermione And Hockey Player Arabella Stanton Beat 32,000 Kids In 9-Round, 9-Month Audition Irrespective Of Ethnic Background, With Parents By Her Side
HBO has stated it aims to protect young actors like Arabella from online negativity.
May 28, 2026
This article was last updated by Manoj Gadtaula on May 28, 2026
Arabella Stanton is 12-year-old actress from the UK who has been chosen to play Hermione Granger in HBO’s new Harry Potter television series, which will start filming in the summer of 2026.
She stood out with her talent and charm to take on the iconic role originally made famous by Emma Watson.
While the TV version of Hermione will stay true to the character’s clever and bold spirit, there may be some fresh takes in this new adaptation.
Outside of acting, Arabella is also very active and sporty.
She spends her time playing hockey, swimming in competitions, riding horses, or practicing the clarinet.
Off-stage you’ll usually find me in hockey gear, at a swimming gala, on horseback, or practising the clarinet—because life’s more fun when you keep moving..
Parents of Finalists Share Pride And Support As Arabella Stanton Lands Role Of Hermione Granger
In a Facebook post, Sophie Paternostro shared her excitement about Arabella Stanton being chosen to play Hermione Granger in HBO’s new Harry Potter series.
She also revealed that her daughter, Ava, was one of over 32,000 children who auditioned for the role and advanced to the fourth round.
Huge congratulations to Arabella Stanton cast to play Hermoine Granger in the HBO Harry Potter series. It was under NDA so we couldn’t share that Ava was selected from over 32,000 children to meet the casting directors for the part of Hermoine, she got to the 4th stage, it was daunting, hard-work and determination on her part. Learning and delivering lines in front of strangers away from her parents! Takes a strong kid! For EVERYTHING she does we are incredibly proud and admirable parents.
At the same time, a social media user replied to Sophie Paternostro’s post by sharing that their daughter, Lucia, also went through the intense audition process for the role of Hermione.
They mentioned it lasted nine months and involved nine rounds. Lucia made it to the final two but didn’t get the part because the casting team decided to go with an older actor for Harry, which changed the age range for the others.
I was literally about to post the same post about Lucia and saw yours 😂 Well done to her mate it was a brutal process, 9 months and 9 rounds we went through it with Lucia who got down to the last 2 and only lost out on the job because last minute they brought in an older Harry. She’s got a massive future ahead mate I’m sure
Well, Arabella has been active in London’s West End since the age of 9, performing in productions like Matilda the Musical.
She is affectionately called “Bella” and was raised in a Catholic household.
Arabella Stanton’s parents are supportive of her acting career and help manage her public presence.
They manage her official Instagram account, which enables them to stay involved while protecting her privacy and sharing updates about her work.
Arabella Stanton Cast As Hermione Sparks Online Debate About Race Despite Inclusive Casting
She was selected for the role of Hermione from over 32,000 applicants in an inclusive casting process open to all children from the UK and Ireland, regardless of race, gender identity, or background.
People on the internet, especially on social media and websites like Reddit, have been talking a lot about Arabella Stanton’s background.
The writer of Harry Potter said that Hermione’s race isn’t specified in the book and that she supported a black girl playing her in the play Harry Potter and the cursed child. So if the creator of the book doesn’t care about the race of the character, why does people care so much??? Is it bigotry? I think that’s pretty much it!
Many are guessing about her race or ethnicity, asking if she is Black, mixed-race, brown, Indian, or white, which is not supported by verified information.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Arabella performed as the narrator, Control, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show Starlight Express at the Wembley Park Theatre in England.
- She auditioned for Matilda the Musical the week after her 9th birthday.
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