PottermoreHarry Potter author J.K. Rowling has objected to those criticising the choice to cast a black Hermione in the new stage play, calling them a ‘bunch of racists’.
After ‘fans’ criticised the choice to cast Olivier award-winning actress Moma Dumezweni as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child the author claimed that the character very well could be black as she never specified a skin colour in the books.
Rowling has passionately defended the choice saying she fully supported the casting because Dumezweni was the best actress for the job, The Telegraph reports.
Warner Bros. She told The Observer:
With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot. But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job.
When John told me he had cast her, I said, ‘Oh that’s fabulous’ because I’d seen her in a workshop and she was fabulous.
Rowling went on to say that she had a ‘bunch of racists’ telling her that because Hermione ‘turned white’ when she lost colour from her face that she must be a white woman, which Rowling said she had ‘a great deal of difficulty with’.
PottermoreHowever she decided ‘not to get too agitated about it’ and instead stated that Hermione can be a black woman with her ‘absolute blessing and enthusiasm’.
Speaking about the eagerly anticipated play she said she thinks the new Harry Potter play will be ‘unlike anything people have seen before’ and that she still carries the wizarding world round in her head.
The play written by the writer of This Is England’90, Jack Thorne, Rowling herself and John Tiffany, the director.
Part One and Part Two of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opens at the Palace Theatre on July 30, with previews taking place from June 7 and we can’t wait to see Moma in action.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.