Who is Nick Frost set to play in HBO’s Harry Potter series? Actor calls out JK Rowling over her trans rights views

Nick Frost, a cast member of HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter series, is distancing himself from JK Rowling's anti-transgender views.

JK Rowling, who authored the classic fantasy books, is an executive producer on its latest iteration. She has long been vocal about her criticism of the trans community.

Frost, who recently shared his casting announcement on Instagram, disabled the comments section of his post after fans began inundating it with criticism for working with the contentious author. The actor spoke to The Observer recently, where he addressed the matter:

"She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form."

He responded as follows when asked if the show would be eclipsed by the author's actions:

“I don’t know. Maybe it shouldn’t blow over? We shouldn’t just hope it will go away, because it makes it easier. Maybe we should educate ourselves."

The English comedian is slated to take on the role of Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, once played by the late Robbie Coltrane.

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Everything we know about the forthcoming Harry Potter series and how Nick Frost and his fellow castmates feel about JK Rowling's transphobia

As reported by the UK's Far Out Magazine, several other cast members from the series have also shared how they don't agree with J.K. Rowling's view on the subject. When JK Rowling caught wind of the news, she said that the actor would not be axed from the show, despite his contrasting views. The author wrote on X,

“I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”

The HBO TV series is set to make its debut next year, with Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout playing the roles of Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, respectively.

The original TV counterparts for Harry and Hermione, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have long been vocal about their dismay over JK Rowling's opinions. Last year, Radcliffe noted he was “really sad” to learn of the British author's opinions as he declared,

“I will continue to support the rights of all LGBTQ people.”

Emma Watson tweeted back in 2020, voicing her support for the trans community. She wrote,

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are. 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.”

American actor John Lithgow, who has been cast as the canonically gay wizard Dumbledore, was also hit with a similar wave of criticism, but he brushed it off. He told The Times UK that he didn't think of it as a factor at all before noting that his decision to accept the role was "absolutely not" impacted by the ongoing controversy. Lithglow stated,

“No, absolutely not. Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play. It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”

At another point in his interview with the outlet, he said:

“I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her."

Paapa Essiedu, who has been cast as Severus Snape, is also a vocal trans-rights supporter. Deadline has reported that he was one of 400 actors to sign a petition demanding the protection of the trans community in the UK entertainment industry.

As reported by Edge Media Network, following Frost's comments, Variety noted in its report:

"JK Rowling is an executive producer on the new series and was 'very involved in the process' of selecting its creative team, according to HBO chief Casey Bloys."

Just last month, Bloys sat down for an interview on Matthew Belloni's podcast The Town, where he addressed rumors that the latest iteration of Harry Potter would "be infused" with JK Rowling's transphobic sentiments. He dodged the discussion in a thinly veiled manner as he said,

"if you want to debate [Rowling], you can go on Twitter."

Nonetheless, Nick Frost, known for his contributions to Shaun the Sheep, recently revealed he's "going to be very protective" of the Harry Potter trio.

“I’m a dad myself, so I am going to be very protective to the children and I think that is Hagrid’s — one of the kind of baselines of his relationship with those children."

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Janet McTeer has been cast as Minerva McGonagall, while Paul Whitehouse will be playing Argus Filch. Deadline has also reported that Bertie Carvel, the Tony and Olivier Award winner known for his contributions to The Crown, has been cast as Cornelius Fudge.