by Harry Potter star Harry Melling is the latest actor in the franchise to address JK Rowling’s comments about the transgender community.
The 33-year-old played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films that aired from 2001 to 2011, based on Rowling’s popular book series.
Rowling, 57, has since faced a serious backlash from fans and those who worked on the films after controversial remarks she made about transgender people.
Melling, who stars in the upcoming Netflix movie The Pale Blue Eye with Christian Bale, gave his own response to Rowling’s comments in a new interview.
The actor told The Independent: “I can only speak for myself, and what I feel is very simple to me, which is that trans women are women and trans men are men.
“Each person has the right to choose who they are and identify with what is real to them.”
Melling continued, “I don’t want to join the debate about pointing fingers and saying, ‘It’s true, it’s not true,’ because I don’t think I’m a proper spokesperson. But I believe that everyone has the right to choose.
The actor joins several Harry Potter stars who have publicly responded to Rowling’s anti-trans comments.
Tom Felton, who portrayed Draco Malfoy in the film series, said in October: “I mean, the obvious things to say are that I’m pro-choice, pro-debate, pro-human rights in all areas and pro-love. .
“And for anything other than those things, I really don’t have much time.”
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, seemed to kick Rowling after her remarks at the BAFTAs in March.
However, Ralph Fiennes came to the author’s defense as he called the reported abuse Rowling received after her comments “disgusting”.
The 60-year-old actor told The Telegraph: “The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, horrific. I mean, I understand the point of view that can be angry at what it says about women. But this is not some obscene far-right fascist.”
“It’s just a woman saying, ‘I am a woman and I feel like a woman and I want to be able to say that I am a woman.’ And I understand where she comes from. Even though I’m not a woman.”
