Yes, yes, yes, my friends! Hermione is different. Not only has the person changed, but well, her race is different as well.
She. is. Black.
That comes as a shock for many Hermione fans. These amazing guys playing the roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron are Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni & Paul Thornley, respectively.
The casting would definitely have been difficult. It isn’t easy to recreate the cast that grew up with us, that we’re still in love with, that we still admire, that we’d still follow anywhere if we were asked to. So, it obviously was tough. But, when they took to Twitter to display their new faces, the internet broke because of one face, or rather its color.
Here’s the kind of things that people said, and it isn’t cool at all:
@pepetorres25 @HPPlayLDN wtf i dont even like harry potter but this is illegal
— ana ๐ (@uhohlauren) December 21, 2015
@HPPlayLDN @jk_rowling hermione's black?
— Luiso (@luisRM_03) December 21, 2015
Here are the things they said that were cool:
https://twitter.com/itsrouchus/status/678828852341288960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
@HPPlayLDN @jk_rowling Fans can support Hermione when persecuted for being a 'mudblood' but not when portrayed by a black actor #lovenoma
— Lee Croft (@LeemCroft) December 21, 2015
Some of them were just sad that the real Harry, Hermione and Ron weren’t there:
https://twitter.com/RandomPandacorn/status/678819047241203712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But some of them were really supportive of the new Hermione:
https://twitter.com/alwaysdragxns/status/678721701035798528/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Tweets might come, and tweets might go, but we all know who’ll take away the cake, the bakery, and the whole town. The creator of our childhood world, the protector of our fantasies, the giver of the kind of hopes that still make us believe that one day, one day (at last!) we’ll get that letter from Hogwarts, Theย J. K. Rowling.
P.S.: I was on Pottermore one day, and I got Hufflepuff. I still want my letter, though.
Here’s her tweet:
Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione ๐ https://t.co/5fKX4InjTH
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 21, 2015
At the end of the day, she gives every “fan” an ‘in your face’ remark. She has made it clear, and if you didn’t know that J.K. Rowling never specified Hermione’s race, you’re not a real fan.
Also, if you’re more focused about the race of that woman and not about how she must have landed a role this epic, you’re clearly out of your mind. If she’s been chosen, it’s highly plausible that she’ll bring out the same vibe that Hermione did. The intelligence, the wittiness, the boldness, the expressions, the style, and yes, the language. If she has bagged this role, forget her, if all of them have bagged these roles, they all must have done something really special. And that is something that you all ought to be waiting for, instead of fighting over the little detail that says “Hermione can’t be black.”
So, all the little and a little more than little peeps, enjoy the Harry Potter play and don’t give up hope on that letter from Hogwarts because you are not getting it. But I will! I am the one getting that letter!
Bye.
-Apurva Jain
Last Updated on by NamitaSoren
