J.K. Rowling Lashes Out at Racist Fans After Cast Photo Reveal for 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'
J.K. Rowling has bitten back at fans who are unhappy with the casting of Noma Dumezweni in the role of Hermione Granger for the upcoming stage play continuation of the Harry Potter saga.
The author praised the Oliver-winning British thesp as the "best actress for the job." She also noted that her prior experience with social media indicated that "idiots were going to idiot" over the casting.
“I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ — that is, lost color from her face after a shock — that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with,” she told the Observer. “But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”
When the casting was first announced last year, Rowling stated that she had never defined Hermione's race in the books, and loved the idea of a non-white actress in the role. The two-part production begins previews at the London Palace Theatre on Tuesday.
Source: Variety
