'Lord Voldemort' blasts 'disgusting' treatment of J.K. Rowling

The actor, who played Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, has expressed his contempt for cancel culture, saying 'it becomes dumb because it can't work through the grey areas.'

The actor expressed his contempt for cancel culture, 'it becomes dumb because it can't work through the grey areas.'

Actor Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise, has come out swinging in defence of author JK Rowling, saying that the “abuse directed at her is disgusting.”

In a new profile with New York Times, Fiennes reflected on his “stonkingly vast” role as the iconic Harry Potter villain (for the record, he hates the series), and defended Rowling against allegations of transphobia. 

Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort in a scene from film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

“JK Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings,” Fiennes said. “It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centred human being. The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling.”

The actor noted that he can empathise with the “viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about woman.” But added, that Rowling is not “some obscene, über-right-wing fascist.”

“It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman and I feel I’m a woman and I want to be able to say that I’m a woman.’ And I understand where she’s coming from. Even though I’m not a woman,” he continued.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 12, 2017 British author J. K. Rowling poses upon arrival at the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on February 12, 2017. - "Harry Potter" creator JK Rowling said on on August 28, 2020 she would give back an award presented by the US Kennedy family after one of its members criticised her for her views on gender issues. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP)

In recent years, Rowling has become a polarising figure in media. She was accused of being transphobic following after publishing an essay on gender identity in 2020, an allegation she denies. 

In his New York Times conversation, Fiennes expressed his contempt for “cancel culture.” “Righteous anger is righteous, but often it becomes kind of dumb because it can’t work its way through the grey areas. It has no nuance,” he said.

Earlier this month, Fiennes’ Harry Potter co-star Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, also came to the defense of the besmirched author. 

“No one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life,”  he told the The Times. “I’m constantly reminded of her positive work in that field and as a person.”

“I don’t tend to pick sides. I enjoy reminding myself and others that a lot of my good friends have different ways fo life or personal decisions that I don’t necessarily agree with,” Felton continued. “We should enjoy celebrating each other’s differences.”