During a Hits Radio interview, actor Andrew Garfield revealed that he watched the popular Harry Potter film franchise only in the recent past. While acknowledging the controversy surrounding author JK Rowling’s anti-trans perspectives, Garfield praised the franchise for its artistry and craft and Daniel Radcliffe’s performance.
Garfield avoided mentioning Rowling by name, instead referring to her as "she who shall remain nameless"—a hat tip to the Harry Potter villain, Voldemort. He argued that the contributions of the franchise’s cast and crew outweigh the controversies surrounding the author.
“Daniel is so goddamn good. Honestly, I hadn’t watched the Harry Potter movies until recently,” stated Garfield. The actor added, “He’s really good in those movies. Those Harry Potter movies are really good. I know it’s controversial and we shouldn’t be putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation right now through she that shall remain nameless, but the soul and spirit… the essence of the themes of those films and the kids and the artisans and the craft people. I’m working with a wonderful makeup artist, Claire, who worked on the creatures… you can’t throw the baby out of the bathwater. There are so many beautiful artists that worked on those films. I have a newfound appreciation for all of the artists, and Daniel is great.”
Andrew Garfield’s comments arrive shortly after the release of HBO's series adaptation of Harry Potter. The series’ cast members have also faced similar scrutiny regarding their involvement in a show based on the books by Rowling, notorious for her anti-trans perspectives. For example, John Lithgow, cast as Dumbledore, said to The New York Times that he almost exited the project due to public backlash. He ultimately remained, citing the story's inherent message. Lithgow stated the books were “clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry.”
