“I’m really keen not to make a kind of ‘them and us’ dynamic here,” Essiedu told Vanity Fair. “I’m not really here to speak about Jo’s politics or to be a mouthpiece for her.” He said he had been clear about his own beliefs and intended to remain consistent in expressing them.
Essiedu said transgender and queer people, as well as people of all creeds and colors, have the right to be treated with “respect and dignity and safety at all times.” He has previously signed an open letter opposing the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definitions of women and men, according to PEOPLE.
The actor also said the series could do “really beautiful things,” pointing to its themes of forgiveness, good triumphing over evil and accepting people for who they are. Bel Powley, who will play Aunt Petunia Dursley, has also said she disagrees with Rowling’s views on gender while expressing affection for the books.
Rowling drew criticism in 2020 after posting on X about people who menstruate. The previous year, she backed researcher Maya Forstater, who had been fired from the Center for Global Development after making anti-trans comments, according to PEOPLE. Rowling said at the time that she supported women’s right to state that sex is real. In 2026, she again attracted attention for supporting WNBA player Sophie Cunningham amid criticism over Cunningham’s opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports, The Blast reported.
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