If this were another installment in JK Rowling's world-famous book series, it might be called Harry Potter and the Ugly Aftermath . What started out as a magical collaboration between a mega-successful author and the young actors who rose to fame by landing starring roles in a franchise of wizarding films grew increasingly sour over the years as Rowling and the actors publicly disagreed on hot-button issues. -button topics such as transgender rights.
The relationship began with smiles and wild words. Although Rowling was nervous that Hollywood wasn't doing her books justice, she immediately agreed with the casting: Daniel Radcliffe as her hero Harry, Rupert Grint as pal Ron and Emma Watson as know-it-all Hermione.
“When Jo [Rowling] saw Dan, she said: “I always imagined what Harry would look like,” recalled Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films in the series. Rowling herself said that watching Radcliffe's audition tape was “incredibly moving” for her – it was like “watching my son on screen.”
So how did this seemingly happy relationship fall apart? It was an all-consuming experience for the teenage actors, who were suddenly thrust into the spotlight and had very little previous experience – and they have since looked back on their early work with some degree of embarrassment. “I don’t think what I did in the first two films really qualifies as acting,” Radcliffe admitted, while Grint commented: “I don’t think I took it that seriously. I just read my lines and had fun.”
This is understandable given their age at the time (and it becomes obvious when you watch these performances), but does firing them risk appearing ungrateful to the writer who made their successful careers possible? Perhaps this desire to distance themselves from their early acting choices meant that they were also all too willing to dump Rowling when she became a problem for them.
JK Rowling and the cast of the premiere of the second part of the film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in 2011. Photo: Getty
It's fair to say that the Harry Potter experience wasn't entirely positive for the actors either. Radcliffe has spoken openly about how the pressures of fame exacerbated his drinking problems. “Towards the end of Potter there was a lot of drinking and for a while after it ended there was panic, a bit of not knowing what to do next – I didn’t feel comfortable enough with who I was supposed to be sober.” , he commented. Meanwhile, Watson talked about being sexualized by the press when she was a teenager (The Sun held a countdown to her 16th birthday) or about paparazzi trying to take upskirt photos of her when she turned 18.
< p>Sometimes there were such cases. There was also tension between the actors as they worked long hours together. Radcliffe recalled that he and Watson “argued about everything: religion, politics… I remember one of our big arguments during the filming of the fourth film: we didn't talk to each other for a couple of days.”
But what's amazing is that throughout the years of filming (the first film was released in 2001 and the last in 2011), there were no serious reports of disagreements between Rowling and her cast. Instead, their connection and mutual respect seemed as healthy as ever. In 2007, Watson even surprised Rowling by presenting her with the Pride of Britain Award. This is a rather unusual video that is worth watching now. Rowling cries at the sight of her and they embrace warmly. “You really, really deserve this,” Watson coos. “Oh, Emma!” Rowling answers.
However, today you are unlikely to meet the two of them in the same room.
So what's changed? All three Potter stars have worked hard to reinvent themselves since the films ended, and it's clear they all want to be taken seriously. In Radcliffe's case, that meant taking on challenging stage roles (he just received his first Tony Award nomination for Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway) and some oddball film projects, including the surreal comedy Swiss Army Man, in which he plays a pompous corpse.
Watson studied at the prestigious Ivy League Brown University in the US and, in addition to her acting work, became a respected feminist campaigner. In 2014, she was appointed UK Women's Goodwill Ambassador and helped launch the HeForShe movement. She was also a founding member of Time's Up UK campaign against sexual harassment and donated £1 million to the Justice and Equality Fund in 2018.
So one might expect Watson to sympathize with Rowling when she goes public with her views on women's rights and her own history of abuse at the hands of a male partner. Instead, however, we are seeing a generational divide that only seems to be getting worse.
The controversy began in earnest in June 2020, when Rowling tweeted her opinion, which talked about “people who menstruate.” ” The author wrote: “People who menstruate.” I'm sure there used to be a word for these people. Someone help me. Wumben? Wimpund? Vumud?”
“People who menstruate.” I'm sure there used to be a word for these people. Someone help me. Wumben? Wimpund? Wumud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
She followed this up with another tweet: “If sex isn’t real, then same-sex attraction doesn’t exist. If sex is not real, the reality of women's lives around the world is erased. I know and love transgender people, but the erasure of sex makes it impossible for many to meaningfully discuss their lives. Telling the truth is not hatred.”
Rowling then explained why she shared her concerns about “trans activism” in a raw blog post on her personal website. It covered everything from concerns about women's health and education to transition laws, freedom of speech and, finally, her own experiences with domestic violence. It was a powerful article that explained how emotional this topic was for Rowling.
Meanwhile, Radcliffe expressed his views in a statement released by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention charity. young people in 2020. “While Joe is undoubtedly responsible for the way my life has been… I feel obligated to say something at this point… Trans women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice from professional health care associations, who have far more experience on this issue than Joe or I.” He added: “To all the people who now feel their book experiences have been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.”
Watson was also quick to voice his opinion. She tweeted: “Transgender people are who they say they are and they deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they are not who they say they are. I want my trans followers to know that I and many other people around the world see, respect and love you for who you are.”
I I want my trans followers to know that I and many other people around the world see, respect and love you for who you are.
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020
Grint also added his voice, telling US Weekly: “I strongly support the trans community. Transwomen are women. Trans men are men. We should all have the right to live with love and without judgement.”
It's worth considering that society's attitudes towards sexuality and gender have changed dramatically over the last few decades (and even the last few years), and that there is now greater pressure on young actors to conform to the prevailing orthodoxy of their generation – or face being “canceled” . There really isn't much room for doubt or nuance here, at least in public discourse.
Conversely, Rowling was considered brave for belatedly revealing that Hogwarts' beloved headmaster was Albus Dumbledore was gay. It became part of the later spin-off film series Fantastic Beasts, but was probably too controversial to be included in the original books.
So it's heartbreaking to see how bitter this breakup has become. Rowling continued to defend her views, such as responding to a 2021 report that said Police Scotland would record rapes committed by attackers with male genitalia as being committed by women if those offenders identified as women, by tweeting: “War is peace” . Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. The penised man who raped you is a woman.”
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.< br>The penis man who raped you is a woman.https://t.co/SyxFnnboM1
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 12, 2021
Radcliffe amplified his statement as part of The Trevor Project, explaining in a 2022 interview why he did it: “I met so many gay and trans children and young people who identified very much with Potter. And so, seeing how hurt they were that day, I thought: I wanted them to know that not everyone in the franchise felt the same way. And that was really important.” He claimed that he wouldn't be able to look at himself in the mirror otherwise, but – presumably referring to Rowling – he added: “It's not my place to guess what's going on in someone else's head.”
That same year, Watson ruffled his feathers feathers at the Baftas Awards. While presenting the award, she joked, “I'm here for ALL witches,” which many interpreted as a show of support for trans women, as well as a dig at Rowling.
Emma Watson is the queen of this pic.twitter.com/fng3dHsfYJ
— Joe🥤 (@Joeeyyyypp) March 13, 2022
However, Grint showed some loyalty in his 2022 article “What I Learned” for The Times. “I compare JK Rowling to my auntie,” he wrote. “I don’t necessarily agree with everything my aunt says, but she’s still my aunt. It's not easy.”
Voices in support of Rowling were conspicuous by their absence. Few people from the Harry Potter film world came to Rowling's defense, with the exception of Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort. “The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting and appalling,” he said. “I can understand a point of view that might be angry about what she says about women. But this is not some obscene far-right fascist. It's just a woman saying, “I'm a woman, I feel like a woman, and I want to be able to say that I'm a woman.”
Unfortunately, it seems that no amount of wand-waving can heal this rift—even as new information continually emerges in the transgender debate. Following the April publication of Cass Review's seismic final report, one X user, Adam Harris, tweeted to Rowling: “Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a public apology… safe in the knowledge that you'll forgive.” them…” Rowling replied: “I'm afraid it's not safe. Celebrities who have joined a movement seeking to undermine women's hard-won rights and who have used their platforms to support the transition of minors can save their apologies for traumatized detransitioners and vulnerable women dependent on single-sex spaces.”
I'm afraid it's not safe. Celebrities who have joined a movement seeking to undermine women's hard-won rights and who have used their platforms to support the transition of minors can save their apologies for traumatized detransitioners and vulnerable women dependent on single-sex spaces.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 10, 2024
In any case, none of the Potter actors directly addressed the Cass Review's findings, let alone apologized to Rowling about some of hers (as it now turns out) legitimate concerns. But since she was supported in this militant position, perhaps it is too late for her to look for a middle ground.
In another interview with The Atlantic this week, Radcliffe also spoke definitively about their relationship. He reiterated that his statement on Project Trevor was necessary: “I wanted to try to help people who were negatively affected by the comments. And to say that if these are Joe's views, then these are not the views of everyone associated with the Potter franchise.”
Moreover, he made a connection between the world of Potter and the queer community, adding: “Many people found solace in those books and films that dealt with feeling closeted, rejected by family, or living with a secret.” Radcliffe also admitted that “nothing in my life would have happened” without Rowling's work, but added: “It doesn't mean you owe your whole life to someone for the things you really believe in.”
Let Women Speak campaigner Kelly-Jay Keane criticized Radcliffe for his comments, calling them “disgusting, nasty and ungrateful” on GB News. She condemned “his silence when [Rowling] suffered terrible harassment and death threats. Not once did he stand up and say, “Not in my name.” I may not agree with this woman, but this is not in my name.”
In an interview with The Atlantic, Radcliffe also said that he hasn't spoken to Rowling in years – and it doesn't look like that's going to change. “At the end of the day, I'm very sad because I look at the person I met, the times we dated, the books she wrote and the world she created, and it all makes me feel so deeply sympathy. “.
This is truly an enduring mystery. For such an inclusive, moral work, a series of films made with unusual creative harmony, and a group of, as far as we can tell, good-hearted people, it is tragic that it is now defined by such harshness. Dumbledore famously advised his students at Hogwarts to make the crucial choice between what is right and what is easy. Cooling down this inferno of debate and restoring the Potter family won't be easy, but at least trying something would be a mature, humble, and healing act on the part of everyone involved. This is certainly correct.
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