Tom Felton says JK Rowling wasn’t all that involved in the “Harry Potter” film franchise.
The actor distanced the controversial author from the film adaptations of her work in an interview with The Independent.
“…As much as Jo is the founder of [these] stories, she wasn’t part of the filmmaking process as much as some people might think,” Felton said. “I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set.”
The 35-year-old only credited the author for being “responsible” for the story the films were based on and connecting people “of all ages, of all backgrounds.”
Rowling has been embroiled in controversy over her stance on transgender issues, which has many fans rethinking the legacy of the “Harry Potter” franchise. While Felton refrained from condemning the author like his other co-stars including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, he stood his ground in saying he was “pro-human rights across the board.”
“First of all, I don’t know enough about the specifics of what anyone said,” Tom explained. “My dog takes up far too much time for me to go into such matters. I mean, the obvious things to say are that I’m pro-choice, pro-discussion, pro-human rights across the board, and pro-love. And anything that is not those things, I don’t really have much time for.”
“Honestly, with my friends, we all have differing opinions on various matters, and we celebrate our own choices,” he concluded. “We certainly don’t take any pleasure in putting crosshairs on people that may have said things that we disagree with.”
Felton also promoted his new memoir, “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard,” where the actor reminisces on his time filming the “Harry Potter” films as a child star. He also gets candid about his difficulties finding work as an actor after the conclusion of the franchise.
“It wasn’t really returning to auditioning. It was learning to audition all over again,” he admitted of his post franchise struggles. “When children are brought in, half of it is, ‘Can you stand on the mark, not look down the lens of the camera, and take basic direction?’ I mean, really, how good can any seven-year-old be at anything. Going in there as a 20-year-old, especially in Los Angeles, the auditions are far more frequent and cut-throat. It’s a lesson — not necessarily in brutality, but in acceptance.”
“Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard” is out now.
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