Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Star James Snyder on His Hogwarts House Drama & More

Accio, Potterheads! James Snyder is currently leading the company of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Harry Potter. In honor of the Chosen One's birthday, the Broadway.com vlogger stopped by Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive to celebrate and share what it's like to go to Hogwarts eight times a week. "It's very humbling playing Harry Potter," Snyder said to Beth Stevens. "Everyone has an opinion on what and who Harry Potter should be. I read a statistic the other day where like one in 15 people own a Harry Potter book in the world. It's so great to take on someone that means so much to so many people."

Snyder took over for Tony nominee Jamie Parker in the role, but he was originally eyeing another Hogwarts alum. "I went in for Draco Malfoy at first," Snyder said. "I had two months to prepare for Draco, and I really dug into it. Then they said they wanted to see me for Harry Potter and I only had three days to prepare. I disappeared into my basement and learned everything I could, I wanted to be off-book. The internet is a great source, I would like to thank everyone who has ever posted anything about Harry Potter on the internet. So, I went in and had the audition of my life. Three weeks later, all my agents called me and asked, 'How would you like to be Harry Potter for the next year?' And I said, 'I would like that very much!'"

Soon after booking the role, Snyder learned that #keepthesecrets was more than just the show's slogan. "I got the call in September and wasn't allowed to tell another human being until December," he said. "I went to a wedding and had an anniversary. I saw everyone from both sides of the family and couldn't tell a soul. I just had to nod my head and say, 'I think I have something coming up,' and 'Yeah, it has been a while since Broadway.' The amount of people I had to text apologizing for lying when the news came out was crazy."

It didn't take long for Snyder to head to the Lyric Theatre to see the magic for himself, and it was a night he'll never forget. "I went in October right after I booked the show," he said. "It was incredible. I got so lost in the story that every now and then I was like, 'Holy cow! I can't believe I get to do this.' Tickets were so hard to get that me and my wife were sitting on opposite ends of the mezzanine and we would just look down the aisle at each other. We met in the lobby at intermission, and she was like, 'I can't believe you get to do this!' It's unbelievable."

While most people know exactly what Hogwarts house they belong to, the answer is a little more difficult for Snyder. "It's complicated," he said. "When Pottermore first came out I got sorted into Slytherin. Then, it expanded and when I took the quiz [again], I was sorted into Gryffindor. Pottermore said to go with my new house, but I do say that I have a hint of Slytherin in me. 

Be sure to catch Snyder in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, playing at the Lyric Theatre.

Watch the full #LiveAtFive episode below!