Daniel Radcliffe Comments on Critics Saying He's Ungrateful to J.K. Rowling

Daniel Radcliffehas responded to people who believe he has been “ungrateful” towards J.K. Rowling in his recent criticisms of the author. In the continuing storm centered onRowling’s frequently controversial opinionson members of the trans community, Radcliffe is one of the Harry Potter stars that have distanced themselves from the author, making it clear that they have no affiliation with her or her opinions. This has led to some people claiming Radcliffe has forgotten how his career was helped along by the author’s magic creation.

Radcliffe began his acting career as a young child when he was cast as the titular character in 2001’sHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The film, and subsequent follow-ups, are based on the books created byJ.K. Rowling, whose wizardry world captivated readers young and old as soon as her works were published. The author has come under fire on more than one occasion regarding comments she made that were seen by many as anti-trans. Radcliffe and hisHarry Potterco-stars were some of those people who spoke out against her, and now he’s responding to critics who suggest he’s ungrateful to Rowling in the wake of his criticism.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

During an interview with the Atlantic, viaVariety, Radcliffe made it clear thatHarry Potterwould not have happened without Rowling and that his career would look very different without it. That being said, just because he was afforded this huge opportunity, the actor doesn’t believe that he has to sacrifice the things he truly believes in, as if he owes her something for the rest of his life.

“Obviously Harry Potter would not have happened without her, so nothing in my life would have probably happened the way it is without that person. But that doesn’t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life.”

Radcliffe says that Rowling’s continued comments against trans women"makes me really sad"and he also revealed that he has had no direct contact with theHarry Potterauthor since her tweets regarding the trans community went viral in June 2020. Given the world she created and the relationship they once shared, it’s clear the actor doesn’t like how things turned out. Radcliffe said,“It makes me really sad, ultimately. Because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.”

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Back when Rowling’s comments were initially made, Radcliffe had been working with the Trevor Project for several years. The Trevor Project is an LGBTQ+ charity that the actor continues to have ties with, and it was through them that the actor issued his statement of disapproval against Rowling, stating that “transgender women are women.” Given his work with the charity, Radcliffe felt it would’ve been"cowardice"of him not to speak out.

“I’d worked with the Trevor Project for 12 years, and it would have seemed like, I don’t know, immense cowardice to me to not say something. I wanted to try and help people that had been negatively affected by the comments. And to say that if those are Jo’s views, then they are not the views of everybody associated with the Potter franchise.

Rowling made headlines again recentlywhen she responded to a user on X who said they were waiting for Radcliffe and his co-star Emma Watson, who has also been very vocal in her disagreements regarding her anti-trans comments,“to give you a very public apology.“In response, the author said,“Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies.“When asked to comment on what Rowling had said, Radcliffe kept it classy and simply stated,“I will continue to support the rights of all LGBTQ+ people, and have no further comment than that.”