Actresses reportedly shun controversial play skewering JK Rowling’s stance on gender

A play critical of “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s gender views is struggling to find actresses willing to fill its female roles, according to a report from The Telegraph.

“This project has met some kind of resistance every step of the way, though I’ve been generally surprised by how difficult it has been for us to recruit the female cast in particular,” creative producer Barry Church-Woods told the outlet.

He added that, “It’s a well-paid gig meeting industry standards and the script is terrific.”

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“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has been the subject of many discussions about gender since gaining attention for speaking out on the issue a few years ago. (Reuters)

The play’s working title was initially called “TERF [trans exclusionary radical feminist] C—,” but appears to have been changed to “TERF.” Its plot focuses on a “fictional intervention” for Rowling staged by Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, the trio of stars who led the “Harry Potter” franchise films.

So far, the report says, 90 actresses have turned down parts for female roles, though multiple male roles – including the parts of Grint and Radcliffe – have already been filled.

“There is some suggestion that the actress may have ideological misgivings about the play, or be concerned about a potential backlash,” The Telegraph speculated.

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Left to right: Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise. (Warner Bros.)

Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have each been outspoken about Rowling’s views on transgender issues since she emerged as a voice to advocate for biological women and single-sex spaces.

Watson, for one, insisted that “trans people are who they say they are” in an X post after Rowling went viral in 2020 for criticizing an article mentioning “people who menstruate” and encouraging readers to use that term instead of “women.” 

Watson also wrote at the time, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

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Radcliffe wrote an essay for The Trevor Project to show support for the transgender community and apologized for “the pain” Rowling’s comments may have caused, according to The Independent.

In a statement obtained by Fox News at the time, Grint sounded off in his own way, saying, “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men.”

The Telegraph said in its report that the play was written by queer-identifying Hollywood scriptwriter Joshua Kaplan.

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