‘I don’t have the power to sack an actor’: J.K. Rowling knows about Paapa Essiedu’s pro-trans views
The Harry Potter series for HBO just continues to be a mess of a situation. J.K. Rowling is still attached to the show, meaning she’ll make money for it, you have John Lithgow not understanding why that isn’t a good thing, and now Rowling claims she won’t fire Paapa Essiedu.
Essiedu, who is playing Severus Snape in the series, signed an open letter opposing the anti-trans legislation that was passed in the United Kingdom that Rowling helped campaign for. The author, who has been vocal about her upset over Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all being pro-trans, posted on social media about Essiedu signing the letter.
Rowling shared a screenshot of an article titled “JK Rowling won’t have new Harry Potter TV star sacked despite defiance.” She wrote “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
We don’t know whether or not that’s true given how Rowling has reacted to Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson but the fact that the article used “defiance” says a lot about the article itself and which publications’ views Rowling is willing to share on the situation.
One of my favorite past times with actors in the Harry Potter world is that they will come out and share their love and support for the trans community to try and negate Rowling’s attacks. The difference with this new show is that we knew where Rowling stood with the trans community long before casting got underway. So the idea that pushing back from the inside would only work if Rowling didn’t benefit from the show.
Good on Paapa Essiedu, but the show still lines Rowling’s pockets
Things like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise, and the original films all benefited from Rowling’s anti-trans views not being common knowledge. Those associated with the projects could then speak out and share their support for the trans community. Joining the show that Rowling is doing now, that is going to give her more money to fuel her attack on the trans community, and sharing pro-trans views is good and necessary but it doesn’t change the fact that Rowling will benefit from this show.
I’d be in support of the actors using their money from this series to donate to pro-trans organizations but this all still comes back to Rowling getting more money, and therefore power, to continue her attack on trans rights.
I hope Essiedu’s move is one the rest of the cast of this series follows. Maybe if every actor donates money to pro-trans organizations, it can counteract what Rowling is doing and then this show wouldn’t be as much of a mess but for now, all the new series is doing is benefiting the woman who spends her free time attacking the trans community. At least she wouldn’t take away a man’s job because he has different views, even if she shared an article calling it an act of “defiance.”
(featured image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harper’s Bazaar UK)
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