“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has become a vocal, anti-trans women’s rights advocate in recent years — and many of the stars of her movie and soon-to-be-TV franchise have spoken out in kind. At this point, the list continues to grow.
When HBO’s series adaptation of “Harry Potter” was first announced two years ago, many fans immediately decried the decision to have Rowling onboard as an executive producer, specifically because of her staunch views against trans women and the efforts she’s made to fund and pass anti-trans legislation. Rowling’s views were known since well before the HBO series was announced, however, and stars from the eight movies have been disavowing them for years.
Here are all the “Harry Potter” stars, past and present, who have spoken out against Rowling’s rhetoric and in support of trans rights.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson played Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” films, and has spoken out multiple times against Rowling’s views. Most recently, she appeared on a two-hour episode of the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty”, and pushed back on Rowling’s views, expressing “mixed feelings,” sadness they could not be addressed directly with the “Harry Potter” author, and added that their difference in opinions doesn’t mean she doesn’t “treasure” Rowling and the memories they created together.
Still, Watson’s words seemed to strike a chord with Rowling herself, and she lashed out on social media.
“Emma and Dan [Radcliffe] in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right – nay, obligation – to critique me and my views in public,” Rowling wrote online. “Years after they finished acting in ‘Potter,’ they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created.”
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe is of course best known at this point for starring as Harry Potter himself, and he first called out Rowling’s anti-trans comments in 2020 with a statement to The Trevor Project.
“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment,” he wrote.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint rounded out the “Harry Potter” core trio, playing Ron Weasley in all eight films. He also rounded out the real-life trio speaking in support of trans rights, after one of Rowling’s spewings.
“I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers,” Grint said in a statement in 2020. “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
But Grint is not the only Weasley to lend their public support to the trans community.
Bonnie Wright
Bonnie Wright, who played Ron’s little sister (and Harry’s eventual wife) Ginny Weasley, also spoke out in 2020, in a post to social media.
“If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question,” she wrote. “Transwomen [sic] are Women. I see and love you.”
As recently as last year, Wright also seemed to vaguely allude to Rowling’s views, noting during a MegaCon Orlando panel, “There are a lot of people who don’t love people for who they are at this moment.”
Katie Leung
Katie Leung played Cho Chang in the “Harry Potter” film franchise — a character that’s also drawn criticism for Rowling over the years. When Rowling posted anti-trans tweets in 2020, many called out her track record on queer people and people of color, shaming the fact that the only Asian character in the franchise was named “Cho Chang.”
As Rowling’s sentiments got around, accompanied by fan anger over Cho, Leung herself decided to weight in, posting a thread of links to donate to organizations that support Black trans women.
Harry Melling
Dudley Dursley may have been a dislikable character, but the man who played him has not had the same reaction from fans, given his full support to the trans community.
In an interview with The Independent in 2022, when asked about Rowling’s vitriol toward the trans community, Harry Melling promptly echoed Radcliffe’s sentiments.
“I can only speak for myself, and what I feel, to me, is very simple, which is that transgender women are women and transgender men are men,” he said. “Every single person has the right to choose who they are and to identify themselves as what’s true to themselves. I don’t want to join the debate of pointing fingers and saying, ‘That’s right, that’s wrong,’ because I don’t think I’m the correct spokesperson for that. But I do believe that everybody has the right to choose.”
Chris Rankin
There’s one more member of the fictional Weasley family that’s spoken out, and that’s Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley.
In 2021, Rankin noted that he works extensively with LGBTQ+ charities and organizations, and has many family members who are part of the community.
“You can probably guess where my allegiances lie in that respect,” he’s said.
“What is important to highlight is that, when a trans person says they are male or female, that is what they are and that is how we should treat them,” he said at the time. “It is damaging to them to say otherwise. They are a very small minority who have an awful lot to deal with, and the best thing we can do is support them like we would — or should — any other human being on the planet.”
Nick Frost
Nick Frost is set to play Hagrid in the HBO series adaptation of “Harry Potter,” and last year, he made it clear that his views are the opposite of Rowling’s.
“She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form,” Frost told The Observer at the time.
Still, when Frost posted his casting announcement on Instagram, he had to disable comments after a flood of criticism came in from people chastising him for agreeing to work with Rowling, given her history.
In that same interview, Frost noted that it’s good for people to be upset and to bring attention to the issues the trans community faces.
“Maybe it shouldn’t blow over? We shouldn’t just hope it will go away, because it makes it easier. Maybe we should educate ourselves,” he said.
Bel Powley
Bel Powley is set to star as Harry’s awful aunt Petunia Dursley in the HBO series, and noted earlier this month that she “strongly” disagrees with Rowling’s repeated sentiments.
“I strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling’s views on gender,” she told The Telegraph. “I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance.”
