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JK Rowling responds to criticism over 'black Hermione'
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Harry Potter author JK Rowling is pictured at New York’s Empire State Building in April 2015 to mark the launch of her non-profit children's organization Lumos. (Invision/AP/Evan Agostini)
F
ollowing reports that some Harry Potter fans were not happy about the decision to cast Swaziland-born actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, bestselling author JK Rowling has responded to the criticism.
@HPPlayLDN Not being racist but how can a black woman play Hermione? This play has lost all credibility.
— Agent S(ean Bassett) (@WhoPotterVian) December 21, 2015“With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot,” Rowling recently told the Observer. “But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job.”
(Read also: New images of Harry Potter play cast revealed)
“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. 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.”
Rowling previously said the books never specified Hermione's skin color, thus there was no reason to assume that the character was white.
Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione 😘 https://t.co/5fKX4InjTH
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 21, 2015
The two-act play, which reportedly sold 175,000 tickets in just 24 hours and will officially premiere in London in late July, follows the life of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger 19 years after Lord Voldemort was defeated. Harry has a son named Albus Severus Potter who has a problem with the family legacy. The play is based on an original story written by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. (kes)
