There are so many pop culture references to JK Rowling’s magical series that we couldn’t possibly list all of them. The reason Harry Potter is so heavily referenced in our favorite movies and TV shows is because the series about wizards and witches defined an entire generation and added an incredible emphasis to our love of books and literature. It has shaped our lives in a beautiful way and has taught us so many lessons about love, friendship, and self-worth.

So what are the most memorable pop culture references of Harry Potter? Keep reading to find out!

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Orange is the New Black has a whole plethora of great references to Harry Potter throughout the Netflix original series. Books play a big role in this show and the prisoners at Litchfield can almost always be caught with their nose stuck in a book.

Nobody loves to read more than Taystee, and she is constantly making references to Harry Potter. She even tells Piper that she is a cold-stone Slytherin! The fact that the prisoners love JK Rowling’s series is hilarious because when we think of prison we tend to picture knife fights and violence rather than peaceful discussions about which Hogwarts house everyone would be in.

YES MAN (2008)

Yes Man, starring Zooey Deschanel and Jim Carrey, has a hilarious scene in it that is fully dedicated to Harry Potter fans. Albeit, it may be making fun of Potter-heads, but they’re able to take a joke because the scene is genuinely funny.

In the movie, Deschanel and Carrey’s characters are forced to go to a Harry Potter-themed party made up of full-grown adults who dedicate their whole lives to the series. It pretty much describes all of us, but we can’t deny how hilarious the scene is.

BOOKSMART (2019)

Booksmart is an incredible coming-of-age film directed by Olivia Wilde about two best friends, Molly and Amy, who are experiencing major FOMO. They realize they have missed out on so much during their four years of high school because they were too busy studying the whole time.

Molly and Amy go to a party, and when Molly musters up the courage to talk with her crush, they bond by discussing which Hogwarts house they think they’d belong to. (Molly is a proud Ravenclaw-Slytherin hybrid, and she won’t let you forget it).

GET HIM TO THE GREEK (2010)

Get Him To The Greek has a hilarious Potter reference. There is a scene in the movie in which Jonah Hill’s character runs into Tom Felton at a party, aka the actor who plays Harry’s greatest nemesis at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy. Jonah Hill’s character keeps on making Harry Potter references to a clearly annoyed Felton who is just trying to live his life and enjoy the party without being bombarded by another Potter fan.

It’s a short cameo, but it definitely adds something memorable and spectacular to the entire movie.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)

The Devil Wears Prada has an unforgettable Harry Potter reference that plays a pretty big role in the film’s plot. Miranda Priestly, played by the iconic Meryl Streep, is known as the “dragon lady” because she is a boss who is nearly impossible to please.

She tells Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy, that she wants a copy of the new Harry Potter books that haven’t been released yet. This is a nearly impossible task yet Andy manages to get two copies of the manuscript, one for each of the twins.

THE OFFICE

There are a ton of hilarious moments in The Office that reference Harry Potter (most of them made by Dwight). A great scene that includes this scenario is when Jim and Pam are forced to spend time at Schrute Farms, yet they find themselves enjoying their stay more than they ever thought possible. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that Dwight reads the happy couple a bedtime story, that story being Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  It kind of makes us want to pack up all our stuff and move to Schrute Farms!

Plus, let’s never forget the one and only “Prison Mike” who warned the office that prison was filled with Dementors.

PARKS AND RECREATION

Parks and Recreation is also filled with incredible references to Harry Potter. Leslie Knope is obsessed with the movies/books, and she forces her best friend Ann Perkins to watch all of the Potter films. When Ann says she doesn’t like Harry Potter, Leslie hilariously responds with, “That’s insane! You love Harry Potter, you’ve seen all eight movies!”.

There is also an incredibly funny moment when April Ludgate admits that during all the Twilight premiere movies, she’d shout “TEAM VOLDEMORT!”. Sounds like a classic Ludgate move.

DOCTOR WHO

Funnily enough, the Harry Potter reference from Doctor Who is said by David Tennant, who happens to be a central character in the Potter films. Specifically, he is a big part of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where he plays the role of Bartemous Crouch Junior.

The Doctor says in reference to JK Rowling’s series, “Wait till you read book seven. I cried.” The Harry Potter fandom as well as the Doctor Who fandom tend to collide, so it was the perfect show to use the reference in.

SOUTH PARK

South Park, the series that is known for its pop culture references, has had a ton of Harry Potter mentions sprinkled throughout the Comedy Central show. At first Matt and Trey’s series would poke fun a bit at Harry Potter, yet as time went on they seemed to have much more of a respect for Rowling’s magical universe.

In the episode “Imaginationland Part III”, Kyle gives a heartfelt speech about how important fictional characters are to our society and that figures such as Harry Potter and Santa Claus tend to have more of an impact on our lives than most real people we come across on a day to day basis. Kyle claims that these fictional characters have changed him and made him into a better person, so in a lot of ways, imaginary characters are more real than most people.

CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical comedy series created by the brilliant Rachel Bloom. Bloom is clearly a Potter fan. This is made evident by the enormous amount of references made in the series about Potter. Bloom also happens to be in the process of creating a Harry Potter-themed nursery for her daughter.  How adorable could a nursery get?

On the show, her character Rebecca Bunch is stuck inside an elevator with her icy boss Nathaniel. They hate each other at first, yet while they are trapped inside the small space they begin to form a bond over their mutual love for Harry Potter. It is an adorable moment that changes their dynamic forever, all thanks to JK Rowling’s magical series.