Tom Felton said that he is “pro-human rights across the board” and “pro-love”, when asked about JK Rowling’s comments on transgender rights.
The actor, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise, said he didn’t “have much time for” anything “that is not those things”, but also praised Rowling’s writing and the impact it has had.
Rowling has been criticised by many LGBT+ people and activists for her repeated comments on trans issues, with many describing the remarks as transphobic, something she has denied.
In a new interview with The Indepedent, Felton said, in response to a question about Rowling: “First of all, I don’t know enough about the specifics of what anyone said. 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.”
He continued: “It is also a reminder that 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. I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set.”
However, Felton also noted that Rowling was “responsible” for stories that are beloved by people “of all ages” and “of all backgrounds”.
“Honestly, with my friends, we all have differing opinions on various matters, and we celebrate our own choices,” he said. “We certainly don’t take any pleasure in putting crosshairs on people that may have said things that we disagree with.”
Felton’s memoir, Beyond the Wand, is released on 13 October.
