Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes has spoken out in support of her former co-stars following recent criticism they have faced for not being more grateful to JK Rowling.
Rowling, 58, has been labelled as a trans-exclusionary feminist in recent years, after frequently using her platform to explain her views on gender identity and allowing transwomen into women-only spaces – views which some consider to be transphobic.
Many actors in the hugely successful Harry Potter film franchise, which was based on her books, stated they disagreed with her opinions and have distanced themselves from her in the past few years.
Rowling spoke out stating that she won’t forgive Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson for their comments about her views, and critics have suggested that the actors should be more grateful to the author whose novels kicked started their careers.
Now, Margolyes, 82, has weighed in and offered support to her former co-stars while also sharing a rather diplomatic approach to Rowling’s outspoken opinions.
In a recent interview, the actress who played Professor Sprout in the second film the Chamber of Secrets and later reprised her role in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, said she thinks the stars of the franchise, which grossed $7.7 billion (£5.96b) at the box office, ‘shouldn’t be trammelled’.
‘I think that’s unrealistic. Now they’re grown up and they have opinions. So why can’t they give their opinions? That’s fair to me,’ she said.
She continued to tell The Telegraph: ’They shouldn’t be trammelled because they once were in a film that somebody wrote.’
As for her thoughts on Rowling’s controversial comments, Margolyes gave a rather diplomatic answer.
Admitting she has no desire to make ‘big statements’ about trans people, the British-Australian actress said she does have one belief she will share.
‘What I do believe is that, in sport, people who are born with a male frame have an advantage. And that has to be dealt with, either with a separate category or handicap loading or something like that. It’s nonsense to say that somebody who’s become a woman, who’s chosen to turn from being born one sex into another, doesn’t have characteristics which remain – they obviously do,’ she said.
The actress, who has also starred in Call The Midwife, continued to say that she feels for athletes who ‘have to compete against people who are born stronger’, before adding, ‘But otherwise, you know, why are people so nasty? There are so few trans people.
‘And I just think people should be allowed to get on and be who they are, or be who they want to be, without all this nastiness.’
Margolyes herself recently landed in hot water with the Harry Potter fan base after she told New Zealand public broadcaster 1News: ’I worry about Harry Potter fans because they should be over that by now.’
‘It was 25 years ago and it’s for children. I think it’s for children, but they get stuck in it,’ she said.
Jessie Cave, in the films and was Ron’s first girlfriend in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, quickly slammed Margolyes’ comments as ‘terrible.’
At a Harry Potter fan convention in Paris in March, when asked about Miriam’s sentiments, Cave replied: ‘It’s such a shame that happened,’ before explaining to the audience how Margolyes is naturally funny, and she hoped the comedian didn’t mean for her words to be taken too seriously.
‘It’s created a fan base that has aged and is still bonded through it and it’s passed on to younger generations and that’s what is so amazing,’ she added.
Cave continued: ‘She probably just doesn’t understand that or get that. Just let her be. I think this situation is very unusual.’
Her comments were met with applause as she sat alongside Devon Murray, who played fellow Gryffindor student Seamus Finnigan in the films.