Yahoo Movies JK Rowling Responds To ‘Black Hermione’ Casting
The cast of the Harry Potter stage play ‘Harry Potter and The Cursed Child’ has been announced with Noma Dumezweni in the role of Hermione.
The casting of the accomplished actress in the part made famous by Emma Watson seems to have caused consternation in some corners of the internet, seemingly because she’s a woman of colour.
One person on Twitter posted “Yeah, this isn’t going to work” about the casting.
One person who’s not concerned by the colour of the girl wizard’s skin is her creator JK Rowling who says Hermione’s skin colour was never mentioned in the book.
Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione 😘 https://t.co/5fKX4InjTH
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 21, 2015
The author took to Twitter to say: “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione”
She joins a chorus of commentators online who are all over the moon at the colour blind casting choice.
As a black girl who identified with Hermione soooo much growing up, thank you @jk_rowling. Twelve year old me is crying happy tears.
— Angela Thomas (@acthomaswrites) December 20, 2015
THEY CAST A BLACK HERMIONE???? *BURSTS INTO BLACK GIRL MAGIC TEARS* https://t.co/QH7Jonsw5W
— Ashley C. Ford (@iSmashFizzle) December 20, 2015
I love how Hermione being black is somehow more implausible to some people than a universe where the entire postal system depends on owls
— Snukes (@QueerDiscOx) December 20, 2015
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ is coming to the Palace Theatre London in 2016 with previews starting in May.
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Image credit: Palace Theatre
