Overview
- Andrew Garfield said in a Hits Radio interview that he only recently watched the Harry Potter movies, called doing so controversial, refused to say J. K. Rowling’s name, and warned against “putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation.”
- Garfield praised Daniel Radcliffe and the films’ thousands of artists, citing a makeup colleague from the creature workshop, and argued viewers should not “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
- Coverage linked his “legislation” remark to Rowling’s funding of For Women Scotland, whose legal challenge helped lead to a 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” in equality law by biological sex.
- The remarks circulated as HBO promoted its new Harry Potter series with a trailer and early marketing, with Rowling, an executive producer on the show, posting that it is “going to be incredible.”
- Reaction broke along ideological lines, with some right-leaning outlets calling Garfield hypocritical and others emphasizing his support for the films’ craftspeople, and there were no reports of cast exits or production changes.