Rupert Grint On The Accusations Against JK Rowling
The actor who played Ron Weasley shares his feelings on the JK Rowling accusations.
This article is more than 2 years old
Rupert Grint has offered new opinions on JK Rowling’s transphobic comments, and it’s a perfectly balanced remark on who JK Rowling is, what she has said, and what she has done for millions. Does it skirt the truth a bit? Sure, but that’s just him being smart with his public image. He has already been very open about how opposed he is to what she has said, so we know where he stands on this. He is simply being fair, and that is admirable.
Here is what Ruper Grint said about JK Rowling in a recent interview with Esquire: “I am hugely grateful [for] everything that she’s done. I think that she’s extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius. But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that.”
For those few who don’t know or don’t keep track of casting, Rupert Grint portrayed Ron Weasley across all eight big-screen adaptations of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books. The role catapulted him to global fame, and while he isn’t in the spotlight nearly as often as some of his co-stars, his job as a new father is undoubtedly his priority. He is, however, currently in the Apple TV+ series Servant, which is receiving positive reviews.
If you are unfamiliar with what has been said and who has been harmed by her words, here is a brief history of what has gone down so far: JK Rowling first came under fire for transphobic comments back in 2019, maintaining her stance even amidst calls to “cancel” her. Since then, the popular author has doubled down on her views, even signing a dreadful Harper’s Letter last July that basically condemned “cancel culture.”
This is tricky, especially because JK Rowling has impacted so many for so long. But she has absolutely said some incredibly damaging things, and it’s disheartening to see an author who wrote a book series predicated on love fall so low morally.
Despite her comments, JK Rowling is still getting work and her Harry Potter franchise is still receiving tons of attention. The Fantastic Beasts franchise is still a thing, and there are even rumors about a Harry Potter HBO Max series going around. It is worth noting that the love for her wildly popular boy wizard saga likely won’t ever go away, but we can mitigate the harm she’s doing to the trans community by speaking out and making it clear that her comments are not okay. On top of that, her Wizarding World is getting an open-world game in the very near future. There are all kinds of new opportunities for expansion within the Potterverse, but that does not mean we have to accept what Rowling is saying.
Rupert Grint presented his thoughts on JK Rowling in an incredibly tactful, beautifully classy way, and it will be interesting to see who continues to speak out against the author’s harmful views. Daniel Radcliffe has also spoken out about her comments, as have other Harry Potter co-stars. Still others, such as Hagrid actor Robbie Coltrane and Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes, have condemned “cancel culture” and, in some way, come to Rowling’s defense. It seems there will always be two sides to this particular issue
