Fantastic Beasts star Ezra Miller on how Harry Potter helped him cope with bullying

Not many members of the cast of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ grew up with JK Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series, but Ezra Miller did.

The 24-year-old is a self-confessed ‘Potter’ nerd, but recently discussed the serious impact the the audio books had on his life when he was a victim of bullying.

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“I was teased as a youngster with strange interests, with a speech impediment. I was an easy target,” he told WENN (via Metro).

“Also, when I started going through puberty and having confusing feelings about wanting to kiss people – not all of them being girls, there were moments in my life where I felt ostracised from my contemporaries or my peers.

“In those years of bullying I would come home and listen to ‘Harry Potter’ for a few to several hours every single day while I ate instant ramen.

“It was a bit of a sad time in my life but you do what you have to do to get through times that are hard, and to have a resource like these stories, that remind you of what’s good in the world and in yourself. It was helpful to me in many ways I can’t fully understand.”

It’s a story many can relate to, and not just relating to Rowling’s ‘Potter’ stories.

“Those times were very painful but also very formative because they prompt us to step outside of society and to look at the world with fresh eyes, he added.

“Which is why I think so many of our great minds have been ostracised folks and disenfranchised people.”

In the new film, a prequel series written by Rowling, Miller plays Credence Barebone: a villainous character if his haircut is anything to go by. He stars opposite Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Colin Farrell.

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ hits cinemas this Friday (18 November).

Picture Credits: Warner Bros