Following Emma Watson, Another Movie Star Voices Opinions on J.K. Rowling
Matthew Lewis, the actor who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming TV series based on the franchise.
The series, announced in 2023, will see Yorkshire actor Rory Wilmot take over the role of Neville, but Lewis admitted he hasn’t really thought much about the show.
“I haven’t really thought about the series as a whole at all,” Lewis told The Independent. He even joked that thinking about it might be stressful: “I’ll probably have to pay my therapist for a double session when I finally do think about it.”
Lewis said he was happy to see that the new Neville will also be from Yorkshire. “I feel quite humbled in that Neville is now canon Yorkshire. Whether that’s a tribute to me or not, I don’t know, I’m gonna say that it is. But the last thing [the new cast] needs is for has-beens wading in, just let them cook,” he explained.
When asked if he would work with J.K. Rowling again, Lewis said it would “depend on what the project is.” He added that he would need to feel comfortable and make sure it fits with his beliefs, especially given the controversy surrounding Rowling’s comments on transgender rights.
This comes after Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, recently shared her views on the topic as well.
Watson has spoken about her disagreement with Rowling while still appreciating her personally.
On her podcast with Shetty, Watson said, “I think the thing I’m most upset about is that conversation is never made possible. I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, means that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with. I will never believe that one negates the other.”
Watson emphasized her hope for mutual respect despite differences. “It’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with,” she added.
Rowling, on the other hand, criticized Watson in a long social media post, calling her views on transgender rights “ignorant” and suggesting that Watson’s praise of her was influenced by changing public opinion.
According to Rowling, their friendship started to break down in March 2022 after Watson’s appearance at the BAFTA Awards, where she expressed support for transgender people.
I'm seeing quite a bit of comment about this, so I want to make a couple of points.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 29, 2025
I'm not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character I created. The idea is as ludicrous as me checking with the boss I had when I was twenty-one for what opinions I should… https://t.co/c0pz19P7jc
The relationship between Watson and Rowling had been close for years, with Watson often speaking warmly about Rowling’s mentorship. But their differing opinions on social issues eventually strained that bond.
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