‘Harry Potter’ Star Bel Powley Speaks Out Against J.K. Rowling’s Gender Views

Bel Powley has made it clear that loving Harry Potter does not mean she agrees with everything its creator, J.K. Rowling, has said about gender.

Powley, who plays Petunia Dursley in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, spoke about Rowling’s views in a new interview with The Telegraph. The actress said she strongly disagrees with Rowling while also explaining why she still wanted to be part of the new adaptation.

“I strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling’s views on gender. I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance,” Powley told The Telegraph.

Her comments come as the new Harry Potter cast continues to face questions about working on a series connected to Rowling. The author is involved with the HBO adaptation as an executive producer, and her views on transgender issues have become a major point of controversy in recent years.

For Powley, however, the decision to join the show was also personal. She grew up reading the Harry Potter books and said the series was an important part of her childhood.

“But I love ‘Harry Potter.’ I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness,” she said.

That mix of feelings appears to be shared by some of her fellow cast members. The new series has already seen several actors asked about Rowling and whether they were comfortable taking part in a project linked to her.

John Lithgow, who plays Albus Dumbledore, has also addressed the issue. In an interview with The New Yorker Radio Hour earlier this year, Lithgow said he had thought about walking away from the role because of Rowling’s views.

In the end, though, he decided to stay. “The reasons to do it were much, much stronger than the reasons to protest against what Rowling has done and said,” Lithgow said.

He also said he disagreed with much of Rowling’s position, adding that some of it had been “twisted and misrepresented” while noting that Rowling had continued to stand by her views.

The new Harry Potter series is one of HBO’s biggest upcoming projects. It is expected to premiere at Christmas and will retell the story from the beginning, giving the books more room to be adapted across multiple seasons.

Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, with Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The cast also includes Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall. Mark Mylod is directing, while Francesca Gardiner serves as showrunner.

The show has already been renewed for a second season, which will focus on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

With the premiere getting closer, the cast will likely continue to face questions about Rowling. Powley’s comments show that, for her, there is a clear difference between supporting the Harry Potter story she grew up with and supporting views she does not agree with.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!