The “Harry Potter” films are “slightly more historically accurate” than the 2000 film “The Patriot,” Jason Isaacs jokingly contended in an interview published Sunday, refuting the idea that the 2000 Mel Gibson-starring Revolutionary War film hews closely to American history.
“I must tell people that ‘Harry Potter’ is slightly more historically accurate than ‘The Patriot,’” he explained to EW. “And any history teacher who’s showing it to their kids, they better tell them how much bulls–t it is. It’s made up.”
Isaacs did note that he likes the film, which was directed by disaster epic extraordinaire Roland Emmerich. “It’s an amazing movie, and it moves a lot of people,” he said. “But no one should be thinking it’s history.”
Isaacs also starred in the movie alongside Mel Gibson and the late Heath Ledger as British officer Colonel William Tavington. It was a fair success, grossing $215 million worldwide but upon release was criticized by historians for its lack of accuracy in portraying the American Revolutionary War.
The actor, who played Lucius Malfoy in all eight “Harry Potter” films, recently defended the casting of Paapa Essiedu as Snape in HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series. “Paapa Essiedu is one of the best actors I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve seen some people online who are being rude about him,” Isaacs said in July. “What they’re being is racist.”
Isaacs also heaped plenty of praise on the entire cast. “All the cast of the new ‘Harry Potter’ TV series are amazing,” Isaacs remarked. “They will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does onscreen.”
