Andrew Garfield has revealed that he recently watched the Harry Potter movies for the first time, but said he did so knowing that it was “controversial.”
The British-American actor, who is promoting The Magic Faraway Tree, said investing in the Potter universe would ultimately reward “she that shall remain nameless.”
In an interview with Hits Radio show My Life In Movies, Garfield did not name J.K. Rowling or reference the transgender rights debate directly, but he did allude to interventions she had made on the issue.
Here’s his full quote: “I hadn’t watched the Harry Potters until recently … and he’s [Daniel Radcliffe] really good in those Harry Potter movies. Those Harry Potter movies were really good.
“I know it’s like controversial. And like, we shouldn’t be — you know — putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation right now through she that shall remain nameless. But the soul and the spirit of a lot of the essence of the themes of those films, and the kids are so good.”
His reference to “legislation” likely relates to Rowling’s financial donations to the campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought a legal challenge over how the word “woman” is defined in UK equality law. It resulted in a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that the definition of woman refers to biological sex.
Garfield’s comments come in the same week that HBO released a trailer and other materials for the new Harry Potter television series. “It’s going to be incredible,” Rowling said on X/Twitter on Thursday. “I’m so happy with it.”
Moments earlier, she applauded the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympics.
“Today’s ruling by the IOC means a welcome return to fair sport for women and girls, but I’ll never forget the scandal of Paris 2024, when people who consider themselves supremely virtuous and progressive publicly cheered on men punching women,” she wrote.
