Daniel Radcliffe is reacting to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s anti-transgender stance. In a new interview with The Atlantic published on April 30, Daniel, 34, expressed disappointment over her public viewpoints.
“It makes me really sad, ultimately,” he told the publication. “I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.”
Back in April, J.K., 58, made headlines when she said she wouldn’t forgive Daniel and his co-star Emma Watson for their support of transgender rights. (J.K. has made anti-transgender comments in recent years.)
In his latest interview, Daniel explained that while J.K. helped provide a life-changing opportunity for Harry Potter cast members, they still have the right to speak out on issues that matter to them.
“There’s a version of, ‘Are these three kids ungrateful brats?’ that people have always wanted to write and they were finally able to. So, good for them, I guess,” he said. “Obviously Harry Potter would not have happened without her, so nothing in my life would have probably happened the way it is without that person. But that doesn’t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life.”
In June 2020, Daniel showed his support for transgender women by writing a short essay for the Trevor Project, a non-profit with a mission to end suicide among LGBTQ+ members. In his post, the actor addressed J.K.’s critical comments about transgender individuals.
“I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now,” Daniel 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.”
The actor added that he hopes any controversial comments from J.K. don’t diminish or tarnish readers’ experiences of the Harry Potter series.
“I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you,” he wrote. “If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.”