Voldemort Actor Ralph Fiennes Defends J.K. Rowling

Actor Ralph Fiennes, best known for playing Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, has come out in defense of author J.K. Rowling. In an interview with The New York Times, Fiennes called death threats and “relentless abuse” aimed at Rowling “disgusting” and “appalling.”

“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings.” Fiennes continues, “It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being. The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting; it’s appalling.”

“I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women,” he continued. “But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist. It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman, and I feel I’m a woman, and I want to be able to say that I’m a woman.’ And I understand where she’s coming from. Even though I’m not a woman.”

Rowling has become the subject of public discourse after tweeting her views on transexuals. As a result, she has received numerous death threats, stating: “I’ve now received so many death threats I could paper the house with them, and I haven’t stopped speaking out.”

Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular Harry Potter, was one of the first to come out against Rowling’s comments against trans people, stating, “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the film series, went to Twitter to counter Rowling’s views: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

Fiennes, who also starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler’s List, and The Constant Gardner, will soon appear opposite Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult in The Menu, releasing November 18, 2022.