Noma Dumezweni is speaking out about the backlash she faced after being cast as Hermione in the upcoming stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The actress, as you may’ve noticed, is a person of color. Hermione, as you may remember, was white in the movie (and some argue in the book too). So when Dumezweni was cast in late December, a section of the internet threw their arms up in disbelief.
Dumezweni comes down hard on critics in her first comments about her casting to The Standard:
Dumezweni, 45, said she had encountered “unconscious” prejudice when going for roles in the past, but had not experienced people questioning her ability to play a character because of the colour of her skin.
“It stems from ignorance,” she told The Standard. “They don’t want to be a part of the creative act. To say it’s not as it was intended is so unimaginative.”
“I don’t think they understand how theatre works,” she continued. “We’re here to heal you, make you smile and whisk you away.”
“The only question we should ask is ‘Are they good?’ I’ve met great actors black and white and I’ve met bad actors black and white.”
Unfortunately Dumezweni didn’t address anything other than the race question in her comments to The Standard. We’re very curious to hear if she’s a Harry Potter fan and/or what she hopes to bring to Hermione in The Cursed Child.
Author J.K. Rowling said on Twitter late last month that Dumezweni was her first choice to play Hermione.
In the days following the announcement, Rowling and Emma Watson, also known as White Hermione, voiced their support for Dumezweni.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hits London’s West End this summer at the Palace Theater, with a story that focuses on Harry and his son Albus Severus. Jamie Parker will play Harry and Paul Thornley will play Ron. No other characters have been cast yet.
*This is merely our guess. They may be laughing at something else.
Related: The questions no one is asking about The Cursed Child