HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series has already generated plenty of controversy, from the decision to reboot the beloved film franchise to some of its casting choices. But it's the show's connection to author J.K. Rowling and her outspoken views on transgender issues that has also put several of its stars in the spotlight, including Paapa Essiedu.
Essiedu, who will portray Severus Snape in the HBO reboot, previously signed an open letter supporting the transgender, nonbinary, and intersex communities, a move that attracted attention given Rowling's well-documented opposition to certain transgender rights policies. The author later addressed his involvement on social media, stating that she wouldn't fire the actor from the series even if she had the power to do so.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Essiedu reaffirmed his position while making it clear that he isn't interested in getting into a public feud with the Harry Potter creator.
"I have been super clear about my position on this topic, and that is the reason why she spoke out about me," Essiedu explained. "I'm really keen not to make a kind of 'them and us' dynamic here. I'm not really here to speak about Jo's politics or to be a mouthpiece for her. I can only be really, really clear about what I believe and be consistent with that."
"I believe, in my bones, that trans people, queer people, people of all creeds and color have got the right to be treated with respect and dignity and safety at all times—whether they're in the workplace, whether they're at home or in the street, whatever," he continued. "That's what I believe, and that's the way that I choose to live my life. That's the creed by which I live."
While Rowling has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent years because of her comments about gender identity and her support for policies that critics argue undermine transgender rights, the author has repeatedly rejected accusations that she is anti-transgender. She's maintained that her views are focused on protecting women's sex-based rights.
The debate has followed the Harry Potter franchise, especially with Rowling remaining involved in HBO's television adaptation. Essiedu has no intention of distancing himself from the series, even if he doesn't agree with its creator on every issue.
"When I come back to this story—this actual story—I'm thinking about the themes that it explores," he explained. "Themes of forgiveness, and good triumphing over evil, and of accepting people for who they are and allowing people to really be themselves within a world where anything is possible."
"I feel like there is something at the center of the story that we own, at least as much as anybody else, that still has the potential to do really, really, really beautiful things," he added.
Essiedu will play Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series, a role famously portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in the original eight films. While he may not agree with Rowling on everything, he, like many of the other series stars, still believes int he world she created and the stories it has to tell.