Libby Purves on Daniel Radcliffe

[Igneococcus]

Wasn't there a thread about him yesterday? I can't find it. Anyway here are Libby's thoughts about his latest utterances:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7dd28c0e-5ae4-11ed-962f-53da0c787308?shareToken=ae8c20596053d5086dc5a01053fe23f5

For the life of me I can’t think of any other author who people think the actors or actresses in the on-screen adaptations of their books are beholden to for the rest of their lives.

No one's saying they're beholden or that they have to agree with everything JKR says or does.

The point being made is that it's really shitty behaviour to publicly and consistent backstab the person who was responsible for you getting your big break and making you a millionaire.

JKR didn''t even cast him so how is she responsible for his big break?

I can't think of an author who's been defamed in the same manner, it's an odd situation.

There's a puff piece in the Guardian, JKR isn't mentioned. The writer of the original piece in the ...?...wire? Seems to have had an axe to grind. Daniel shouldn't have indulged they/them.

This

Umm, she wrote the book without which there wouldn't have been any films?

Yes but that's not JKR being responsible for his big break is it? JKR didn't personally cast him in the films.

If you go down that road then I could argue that DR is responsible for JKR earning millions from the HP film series because he brought legions of new fans to the series but I won't

Also, given DR's upbringing (for want of a better word) I think that he would have been successful no matter what he did, acting in films isn't the only way to be seen as successful.

I just find it strange that DR is spoken about like he's a petulant child throwing his toys out of his pram, he's 33 - if he has an opposite viewpoint to JKR why is he wrong for airing it but JKR isn't wrong for airing hers? They're both valid, they're both allowed to air them but it seems that only one is treated like a child.

They're both valid, they're both allowed to air them but it seems that only one is treated like a child.

And only one gets death threats.

In his initial letter, DR acknowledged that Jk Rowling was “unquestionably responsible for the course [his] life has taken“ so he disagrees with you. Harry Potter movies were not successful because of Daniel Radcliffe. I don’t think it can credibly be said that a different HP actor would have led to less success. He isn’t even very good in them. Taking DR out of the movies doesn’t affect them, taking JKR’s creativity in writing books in the first place very much does. So this: If you go down that road then I could argue that DR is responsible for JKR earning millions from the HP film series because he brought legions of new fans to the series but I won't is nonsense.

In terms of his opinion, he is entitled to it, and if he had simply aired an opinion saying he believes TWAW then that would be one thing - but he didn’t. He went rather further.

He publicly called her out, personally, for “erasing the identity and dignity of transgender people”.

he went on to apologise on her behalf to anyone who has read the books and been upset by the comments:

“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much”

he hopes her comments will not taint people’s love of her books too much? What possible right does he have to comment on the books like that?

That goes way beyond just stating his opinion, he is knifing her. He all but calls her a bigot. She has continued to state her opinion but hasn’t (as far as I know) said anything about DR or EW. And yes, only one of them is getting death threats - which i don’t believe DR has troubled himself to condemn?

If you don't think it's shitty behaviour to publicly backstab the person who was the creative brain behind the film that brought you to success then I can't help you further tbh.

He could acknowledge her while accepting that they have differences of opinion, and that would be fine. But he's not doing that, he's repeatedly accusing her of transphobia without actually pointing to any specific transphobic thing she's said or done. That's not politely disagreeing, it's horrible childish and petulant behaviour, and people are perfectly reasonably calling him on it.

He is behaving like a petulant child @NoMichaelNo. And there is no way he'd be worth £95m without Rowling (who had a lot of control over the child actors cast in the leading roles). Without Rowling, DR wouldn't have a career. He hasn't even got any qualifications beyond his GCSEs.

DR and EW are very disappointing …. Clearly grown up in a bubble and feel entitled to throw around all sorts of fact less remarks. Not good. Really taints HP for me:(

This! As has been pointed out by several twitter commentators - promoting the belief that the creator of something that is hugely meaningful to people means them harm or wants them not to exist is dishonest and cruel. His comments are lazy and self-serving.

I don't think it's particularly accurate or relevant to say DR owes his success to JKR. And for much the same reason I thought it crass and unnecessary that DR felt he had to intervene when JKR first broke her silence on the trans stuff - not remotely his place.

Sorry to thread derail again; It seems testosterone has a protective effect

my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/neurological/depts/multiple-sclerosis/ms-approaches/care-of-the-transgendered-individual

"Mewling transpiety". Perfect.

My daughter calls him Mister Maniel Dansplaining

😂😂😂😂😂

It may be that most of them are American. There isn't really the same kind of visible terfdom there as in the UK.

Of course he owes his success to JKR.
He wouldn't have been cast in any blockbuster film franchises on his own steam - his meek mild quietness and family connections "won" him the role - any other large scale franchises like Percy Jackson would have chosen an entirely different actor.
What other roles has he been stand out in?

Interesting Twitter thread on the Trevor Project which DR supports

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1586256780731916288.html

Sure, he got exceptionally lucky by being cast in the HP films. But (correct me if I'm wrong), it wasn't some intervention by JKR that made him the lucky kid rather than some other boy among many with approximately the right looks? I think (1) directly attributing his extraordinary success to the creator of that world is a bit shaky to start with (and whilst I love HP I think there was an element of 'right story, right time' to the books having quite the success they did), and (2) even if you do think that she personally played an essential role in his fortunes, the argument that he therefore 'owes' her anything is silly.

"We are all really grateful that Jo's stories and the following they've created brought us all together and brought so much joy to so many people, and as an actor I feel I owe her a great deal" - yeah fine (although not compulsory).

"She does not speak for us and we hope trans fans can continue to enjoy HP!!!" (wasn't this the gist of the original intervention by DR, EW and co?) - silly and self-interested. Nobody in their right mind would assume that the author of the HP series having some opinions, years later, would in any way reflect on the actors involved in the film adaptation, so there was no need for them to centre themselves and start effectively apologising for her, as if she was an errant employee going rogue on social media and bringing a company into disrepute or something.

I just think it behooves us to let the silliness and self-interest of these actors stand and be judged on its own merits, rather than rush in declaring that they're disloyal backstabbers who would be nothing without JKR. That veers too close to the behaviour and mindset of TRAs.

What a surprise Clymene - another queer theory group working with children openly breaching the most basic safeguarding guidelines. It really is a feature not a bug isn't it?

Does anyone know if Daniel Radcliffe et al still earn royalties from the HP films?

It looks like individuals like DR and big companies are all so desperate to look like they support the LGBTQ+ community that they throw their money and voice behind awful awful organisations - why in earth is this not in the news?

Maybe something to do with it but also I think they only listen to and hear men speaking a lot of times too. I mean the most famous "terf" of all (even in the states is JK Rowling