A Bridgerton star has spoken out against the Harry Potter series. The popular seven-novel fantasy series by J. K. Rowling, which follows a young boy who learns that he is a wizard and is whisked off to learn magic at the wizarding school Hogwarts where he has adventures with his new friends Hermione and Ron, has previously been adapted into a series of eight movies starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. The upcoming Harry Potter show, which is being developed by Warner Bros. for HBO, is set to be a new version that adapts one book per season.
Per The Telegraph, Bridgerton actor Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope Featherington in the Netflix romance series, one half of the main couple in season 3) has spoken out against the Harry Potter show and J. K. Rowling. In the wake of a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that trans women are not legally recognized as women, Coughlan had already shared a video announcing a fundraiser for the charity Not a Phase, for which she was matching donations up to £10,000, and which has already raised more than £100,000. See that video below:
Reacting to the same ruling, Rowling – who has a long history of sharing anti-trans posts on social media, and who financially supported For Women Scotland, which is the campaign group that was at the center of the legal case – recently shared a celebratory photo showing herself smoking a cigar. Coughlan took to her Instagram stories to share a link to the article about Rowling’s post in The Cut, adding a comment that reads “Keep your new Harry Potter lads. Wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole.“
What This Means For Harry Potter
Coughlan Is Not Alone In Her Sentiments
Nicola Coughlan is far from the first person to speak out against the Harry Potter books being adapted into a new series, or to speak out against Rowling’s anti-trans views in general. In fact, there has been a public rift between Rowling and several of the original stars of the movies, including LGBTQ+ advocates Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
The Harry Potter movie franchise ran from 2001 through 2011.
While Coughlan has been more outspoken and public with her feelings about Rowling and the new series than others, this general sentiment may be one reason that the series has not yet attracted the same kind of robust cast of well-known actors as the Harry Potter movies. While some major stars have boarded the series, including John Lithgow as headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, Rowling’s direct involvement in the projects could very well be preventing just as many, or more, stars from considering taking on roles.
The Bridgerton Star Is Making A Splash
As an up-and-coming working actor, standing up for one’s beliefs and calling out specific artists or studios, especially powerful people like those behind the Harry Potter franchise, can feel risky, which is most likely why it does not happen incredibly often on social media. However, both in terms of the career risk and her donations, Coughlan is putting her money where her mouth is when it comes to the UK’s ruling and the controversies consistently stirred online by Rowling’s behavior, which may inspire other actors to speak up about their own beliefs.
Source: The Telegraph, The Cut, & Nicola Coughlan/Instagram
Harry Potter
- Showrunner
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Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
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Mark Mylod