Nick Frost, the man chosen to play Hagrid in HBO‘s hotly anticipated Harry Potter series, has said he does not agree “in any way” with J.K. Rowling over the issue of trans rights.
The Shaun of the Dead star is preparing to start filming Harry Potter this summer, but is not concerned by the risk that the lavish series could be overshadowed by Rowling’s strident views on gender issues.
In an interview with The Observer newspaper, Frost said he “manifested” his Hagrid casting — first revealed by Deadline — by writing the name of the character down 5,000 times.
After landing the role, he shared the news with his million followers on Instagram, but later had to disable comments on the post after receiving criticism from trans-rights advocates.
Questioned about the backlash and how his views compare with Rowling, he explained: “She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.”
Asked if the debate may overshadow HBO’s series, Frost added: “But 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.”
Frost is not the only Harry Potter cast member who has views that clash with those of the franchise’s creator. Paapa Essiedu, set to play Severus Snape in the HBO series, was one of more than 400 actors to sign a petition calling for the UK entertainment industry to protect the trans community.
Following the open letter in May, Rowling said she would not fire actors who disagree with her. “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,” she wrote on X/Twitter. “I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
Deadline revealed another key Harry Potter casting over the weekend: Tony and Olivier Award winner Bertie Carvel (The Crown) has been tapped to play Cornelius Fudge.
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