Andrew Garfield Reveals His "Controversial" Take On Harry Potter
"We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
Andrew Garfield has finally discovered Hogwarts... even if it is more than a couple decades later than expected. The British actor revealed that he only recently watched the Harry Potter movies for the first time, and while he was struck by the performances and craftsmanship, he does have some complex feelings about the sage. Chief among his concerns is “she that shall remain nameless,” which is how Garfield referred to author J. K. Rowling.
Garfield opened up about his new journey into the wizarding world during his March 25 appearance on the Hits Radio show “My Life in Movies.” When discussing theatre actors he admires, Garfield brought up Daniel Radcliffe. “I hadn’t watched the Harry Potters until recently. And he’s really good in those Harry Potter movies,” Garfield said. “Those Harry Potter movies were really good.”
But it wasn’t all praise. Garfield also touched on how his opposition to Rowling’s staunch anti-trans views can make it complicated to fully enjoy the movies. “I know it’s controversial. And like, we shouldn’t be putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation right now through she that shall remain nameless,” Garfield said.
That said, Garfield doesn’t believe that one element of darkness should blot out tons of inspiring work from everyone else who worked on the film saga. “The soul and the spirit of a lot of the essence of the themes of those films, and the kids, are so good. And all the artisans and craft people,” Garfield mused. “I'm just like, 'Oh man, we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater.' There's so many beautiful artists that worked on those films.”
Garfield’s remarks come at a time when Harry Potter is once again entering the spotlight, with HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation series slated to premiere at the end of 2026. Rowling is heavily involved in the TV show as an executive producer, which has stirred up division among fans. Shortly after the trailer dropped, Rowling called the new series “incredible” and stated she’s “so happy with it.” At the same time, she tweeted her support for the Olympics committee banning trans women from female events.
