Paapa Essiedu, one of the stars of the new Harry Potter series, is among the hundreds of TV and film professionals who have signed an open letter calling for industry action on trans rights.
The letter, expressing solidarity with the trans and non-binary community, demands that industry institutions such as Bafta, BBC, BFI and Channel 4 commit to protecting and including trans people.
It was started by Motive Pictures producer Sid Strickland and script editor Jack Casey just two weeks after the controversial UK Supreme Court ruling that defines a woman based on biological sex.
Essiedu’s decision to sign in support follows his recent casting as Severus Snape (the role so wonderfully played in the films by Alan Rickman) in HBO’s Harry Potter show, which is produced by JK Rowling. Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, also signed the letter.
The forthcoming Harry Potter TV series has divided fans and stars of the wizarding world franchise due to what many people say is Rowling’s transphobic rhetoric. Although the series is yet to start production, there is already a growing backlash, with many questioning those involved over their stance on the trans community.
John Lithgow, who will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, responded to the fallout, calling it “odd”, and adding that discourse surrounding Rowling’s views on trans issues shouldn’t be a “factor at all”.
Rowling was a vocal supporter of the Supreme Court ruling on 17 April. Moments after the decision, she posted on X, “I love it when a plan comes together #SupremeCourt #WomensRights,” alongside a photo of herself on a yacht, smoking a cigar and holding a cocktail.
The author has denied being transphobic, but previously stated she would rather go to jail than refer to a trans person by their preferred pronouns.
The new letter has amassed more than 400 signatures, and states that the ruling “undermines” and “threatens” the safety of trans, non-binary and intersex people living in the UK and “excludes” them from participation in everyday life.
“Film and television are powerful tools for empathy and education, and we believe passionately in the ability of the screen to change hearts and minds. This is our opportunity to be on the right side of history,” the letter reads.
Other stars to have signed the letter include Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Harris Dickinson (Babygirl), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), James Norton (Little Women) and Faye Marsay (Adolescence).
This isn’t the first time Harry Potter stars have stood with the trans community, with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson among those who have spoken out on the subject.
But because Essiedu has joined a new Potter project after Rowling’s views on trans issues have come to light, his decision to also sign the letter has not sat well with many fans. On Reddit, one user accused Essiedu of “having his cake and eating it too”. Another wrote: “I know one other thing you can do to support trans people, Paapa.”
Meanwhile, Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, who has also signed the letter, has made it clear she wouldn’t touch a Harry Potter project “with a 10ft pole”.
