“Harry Potter” actor Tom Felton distanced the film franchise from J.K. Rowling in a new interview with The Independent, although he still gave the author credit for being “responsible” for the “Harry Potter” franchise and connecting people “of all ages, of all backgrounds.” Rowling has generated backlash for years due to anti-transgender beliefs. Many of Felton’s co-stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, have condemned Rowling. Felton stopped short of outright doing the same, but he did say he is “pro-human rights across the board.”
“First of all, I don’t know enough about the specifics of what anyone said,” Felton said when the subject of Rowling came up. “My dog takes up far too much time for me to go into such matters. I mean, the obvious things to say are that I’m pro-choice, pro-discussion, pro-human rights across the board, and pro-love. And anything that is not those things, I don’t really have much time for.”
“It is also a reminder that as much as Jo is the founder of [these] stories, she wasn’t part of the filmmaking process as much as some people might think,” Felton added, distancing the entire “Harry Potter” film franchise from the controversial author. “I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set.”
“Honestly, with my friends, we all have differing opinions on various matters, and we celebrate our own choices,” Felton concluded. “We certainly don’t take any pleasure in putting crosshairs on people that may have said things that we disagree with.”
Felton is currently making the press rounds in support of his memoir, “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.” The book finds the actor reminiscing on his many days spent on the “Harry Potter” film sets, while also getting honest about his struggles as an actor after the “Harry Potter” franchise ended.
“It wasn’t really returning to auditioning. It was learning to audition all over again,” Felton told The Independent about his career’s post-“Potter” struggles. “When children are brought in, half of it is, ‘Can you stand on the mark, not look down the lens of the camera, and take basic direction?’ I mean, really, how good can any seven-year-old be at anything. Going in there as a 20-year-old, especially in Los Angeles, the auditions are far more frequent and cut-throat. It’s a lesson — not necessarily in brutality, but in acceptance.”
“Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard” is now available for purchase.