Nick Frost disables comments on Harry Potter post after backlash to HBO casting (www.thepinknews.com)

submitted 1 month ago by OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Shaun of the Dead actor Nick Frost has disabled comments on a post celebrating his casting in HBO’s Harry Potter series, after fans reacted with upset over his involvement.

HBO announced yesterday (14 April) that the 53-year-old British actor, known for Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, will star as half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in its TV adaptation of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.

While mega fans of Rowling’s wizarding world have praised HBO’s casting team for lining up Frost as Hagrid, others have taken aim at Frost and his fellow future Harry Potter stars over their involvement in a series being executively produced by Rowling.

JK Rowling has repeatedly made her ‘gender-critical’ views on the transgender community clear, while she was recently criticised by asexual campaigners for branding International Asexuality Day “fake oppression” day.

Comments have now been disabled on his celebration post after fans pointed out that he would be working on a Rowling project.

Still, those disappointed in the star’s decision to be involved in Rowling’s work have begun flooding the comment sections on his other posts, with one reading: “You always were an artist I highly admired. Please think again if you want to get involved with that woman, you might lose a lot of fans with that decision.”

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[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 27 points 1 month ago

Still, those disappointed in the star’s decision to be involved in Rowling’s work have begun flooding the comment sections on his other posts, with one reading: “You always were an artist I highly admired. Please think again if you want to get involved with that woman, you might lose a lot of fans with that decision.”

He's an actor, it's a paying acting job. Are these supposed "fans" he might lose going to replace that pay check? No? Then shut the fuck up.

[-] Ledivin@lemmy.world 46 points 1 month ago

Yes, an actor with his castings has absolutely no options 🙄 this is the only one he got a call-back for, obviously

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That's his business. If a stranger bitched at me because I took a job and they had some fucking problem with it, I'd tell them to cram it up their ass, and mind their own fucking business.

[-] Hegar@fedia.io 25 points 1 month ago

It's not because he took a job, it's because he's throwing the weight of his celebrity behind a woman who encourages violence against some of the most marginalized people in our society.

People are questioning his ethics, not his career choices.

[-] Ledivin@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

You're so tough, I'm so envious of you 🥺

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Grow up.

[-] Ledivin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Says the Big Man ™️ threatening to fight people for not liking his job choices

[-] celeste@kbin.earth 20 points 1 month ago

I'm not sure you should run your own social media if you become a famous celebrity.

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I have no desire to be a famous celebrity, so I'm thankful that I'll never be one. But, you're right, if I were a celebrity I would have to demonstrate more tact. Luckily for Frost, he needn't tell these obnoxious assholes to fuck off, because they're not relevant enough to warrant such attention. Disabling comments on a few social media posts is sufficient.

[-] Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

Luckily for Frost, he needn’t tell these obnoxious assholes to fuck off, because they’re not relevant enough to warrant such attention.

You got it backwards. It's the fans who decide if Nick Frost is relevant enough to warrant their attention. Like every actor, his entire career hinges upon that premise. Let's see how shitting on his fans works out for him.

[-] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 15 points 1 month ago

[-] prole 8 points 1 month ago

If your job was morally repugnant, then they would be right to have a problem with it.

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And who decides what is or is not "morally repugnant?" You? Are you the arbiter of objectively, universal moral truth? You must be, if you think anyone needs to seek your approval before taking a paying job.

[-] i_ben_fine@lemmy.coffee 7 points 1 month ago

it's amazing how conservatives adopted moral relativism the second it benefited them personally

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I'm not Conservative.

[-] Mustakrakish@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Bruh, don't just be pedantic, you can imagine direct things that would be objectively immoral to work as, like a slaver. And if you can't than you're just avoiding any kind of introspection at all.

[-] prole 1 points 1 month ago

Obviously, you are the only one who can make that decision for you.

Not going to stop me from judging you for doing something that I consider morally repugnant, whether you do or not.

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 21 points 1 month ago

she essentially the british version of musk, on all the anti-trans thing.

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 4 points 1 month ago

She's a transphobe, but I dont think she's a nazi, right? Nor does she own a bunch of companies where she abuses her employees?

[-] vantablack 5 points 1 month ago

i mean shit did just straight-up do holocaust denial a bit ago

https://www.salon.com/2024/03/15/jk-rowling-trans-nazis-holocaust-denial/

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 1 month ago

That's a bit of a stretch. But the goblins resembling Jewish stereotypes always bothered me

[-] riodoro1@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

I hope nobody will watch this and they’ll loose a bunch of money. Beating the dead horse is an awful trend in television.

[-] vantablack 18 points 1 month ago

JK Rowling funded this new anti-trans UK supreme court ruling. being a Harry Potter fan in 2025 is INDEFENSIBLE and inherently makes you a transphobe

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

being a jk rowling fan*

We're all still allowed to like Harry Potter, just like we're still allowed to dance to Michael Jackson songs

[-] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago

A vast majority of people on lemmy can't separate the art from the artists (or the people who enjoy the art while acknowledging the shittiness of the artists)

[-] Rogue@feddit.uk 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Indeed.

For many of us Harry Potter was a significant part of our childhoods. It's a great story with a satisfying ending. There was incredible excitement for each book, and the films weren't bad either.

The world is already miserable enough I'm not willing to expunge something that has brought me joy.

We absolutely should denounce JK Rowling and her abhorrent statements. I have no idea why people continue to give her a platform. She's one of the names on my filter list because I refuse to let her vile thoughts be given any of my attention.

[-] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

Completely agree, but be prepared to be dog piled for stating it in some places lol

[-] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 3 points 1 month ago

It's a great story

Is your favourite part the defence of slavery, the racist names, the Jewish caricatures, the belittling of women, or the arc about how rape babies are evil?

[-] SoleInvictus 3 points 1 month ago

100%. I still enjoy reading Asimov and Heinlein despite them being bigots. I just don't support the behavior and call it out for being bad when I see it.

[-] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

So it's okay to still like and want to buy a Tesla?

[-] domdanial@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago

If you like and want to buy a Tesla for reasons other than supporting Musk or his companies, I'd hear the argument. But there are better choices in vehicles for every reason I can think of, and expensive luxury electric vehicles can be had without it being a Tesla.

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

financially supporting someone who is actively dismantling our government at the whim of an increasingly authoritarian traitor is quite a bit different then enjoying a michael jackson song when it comes on the radio, or re-reading/watching harry potter.

[-] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

But it isn't when it comes to Harry Potter. The reason I made the comparison is that JK Rowling is also a billionaire using her wealth to influence legislation against trans people. They are more similar than they are different. Buying Harry Potter stuff puts money directly into her pockets to further her TERF goals.

Michael Jackson is a bit more gray.

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I mean, don't buy new HP stuff, you can find it used literally everywhere (or just sail the high seas). I just said it's OK to enjoy it, not give that cunt more money.

Shit, man, I still refuse to eat chik filet.

[-] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Okay, but maybe specify that next time. The masses won't buy used stuff unless prompted, and a blanket statement of 'it's okay to like Harry Potter' without any nuance attached is just gonna give people permission to feel comfortable buying merch, games, Lego, other branded shit which goes directly to her pocket book.

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

We’re all still allowed to like Harry Potter

I was specific.

[-] twice_hatch@midwest.social 10 points 1 month ago

I've already seen Harry Potter Balenciaga and frankly AI art is an improvement to the franchise

[-] celeste@kbin.earth 6 points 1 month ago

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/04/11/what-has-jk-rowling-said-about-transgender-people-trans-views-tweets/

[+] Mallspice@lemm.ee 6 points 1 month ago

[deleted]

[-] Rogue@feddit.uk 9 points 1 month ago

Alan Rickman was the absolute perfect casting for Snape. Nobody else could have brought him to life so well and so true to the books.

Of the entire film cast I think everyone could have been replaced except for Snape, therefore it does make sense to be bold and try something different in his casting for the new show.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Alan Rickman was way to old though. He was supposed to be young. He isn't "young" but I think Paul Dano could have played a decent fit. (Parents should have been what 19? And snape around 30 when the movies/books started ?)

[-] Rogue@feddit.uk 3 points 1 month ago

Perhaps it wasn't true the books then, but movie Snape was a believable age to have been at school at the same time as Harry's parents. It's just for whatever reason the author made the parents ridiculously young

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

The parents died at 21 apparently. So they graduated school at 17/18, entered the work force, entered a war and had a kid by 21. That's not ridiculously young. Most of the reasons many people don't have kids at 21 these days are tied to things they can obtain easily. Food scarcity, housing, and job hunting don't seem like much of an issue. The mother can transfigure a flower into a "fish" and the father was also gifted in magic. They could build a house over the weekend with their family money.

Snape being the same age should have put him at 32 when the first book started. Rickman was about 20 years older than that.

this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025

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