Rupert Grint, the eternal Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter film series, has announced his return to the character on the stage, but he is facing fierce criticism from some activists who oppose author J.K. Rowling.
According to the Daily Mail on the 26th (local time), Rupert Grint will play Ron Weasley in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opens next year at the Lyric Theatre on Broadway, and will appear on stage for 17 weeks starting Feb. 2. He is the second original member of the film series to join, following Tom Felton, who returned to the stage as Draco Malfoy.
Rupert Grint said he was excited, noting, "Ron Weasley has been part of my life since I was 11. I'm thrilled to meet him again at this age."
However, immediately after news of his return was announced, some internet users and transgender activists poured scathing criticism on him, calling him a "hypocrite." They argue it is contradictory because he previously opposed J.K. Rowling's remarks on transgender people and publicly supported the trans community by saying, "trans women are women, and trans men are men."
On social media, malicious comments continued, such as "another childhood idol has disappointed us" and "he abandoned his beliefs for money." On the other hand, voices defending him are standing firm, saying, "There is no reason for him to give up his acting because he supports the trans community," and "a small number of extreme trolls are criticizing him excessively."
Controversy over J.K. Rowling's views on gender has recently spilled over to the Harry Potter TV series being produced by HBO. Nicholas Hoult, who had been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart, withdrew citing scheduling issues after fierce criticism from some fans, and the role was replaced by Kit Harington.
Meanwhile, J.K. Rowling has long been criticized for supporting sentiments opposed to transgender people. She denied that her views on feminism were transphobic, but she has consistently maintained the argument that "women's rights should be protected based on biological sex," repeatedly becoming embroiled in controversy over transgender hatred. She was also accused of expressing transphobia in her detective novel Silkworm.
Rowling also sparked controversy in 2018 by endorsing a tweet that described trans women as "men in dresses." She also sent a message of support to a Catholic activist who voices opposition to homosexuality and transgender people.
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