Tom Felton fans miffed as he admits not being ‘attuned’ to JK Rowling row: ‘The sorting hat was right’

Actor Tom Felton was present at the Tony Awards that took place in the US on Sunday. Since he became well-known for portraying Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, Variety inquired whether actor’s work has been influenced by author JK Rowling’s contentious opinions on transgender individuals. He’s currently facing criticism for stating he isn’t ‘in tune’ with it.

When asked if the ‘Twitterverse’ controversy around JK Rowling’s views impact him or his work in the world, Tom replied, “No, I can’t say it does. I’m not really that attuned to it. If anything, I have to remind myself that I’m lucky enough to travel the world. You know, I’m in New York. And I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter. And she’s responsible for that, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

His response did not sit well with fans of the books and the films. One person sarcastically wrote on Instagram, “I am so grateful to be part of a world that means so much to so many and brings people together. Harry Potter changed my life. I also think everyone deserves to be loved and respected while living wholeheartedly as the truest version of themselves. There. I fixed it for you.” Another wrote, “Translation: I don’t care, she keeps me employed.”

One brought up how Tom’s character, Draco, is sorted into Slytherin in the films, writing, “The sorting hat was right.” A fan wrote, “Very disappointed. You’re not “not attuned”, you’re ignoring it.” Some thought the actor didn’t care about the issue because he is a ‘cis white man’ and is ‘benefitting’ from Rowling. “The only thing I remind myself is that I personally benefited immensely from Harry Potter, so I could not care less.,” wrote one fan, while another commented, “I’m a privileged cis white man, it doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care.”

Some fans, however, came to his defence, with one writing, “He handled that gracefully and with class. The world is very sensitive about every little thing right now. We forget her writing has zero to do with her personal side.”

Recently, it was announced that Tom will reprise his famous role as Draco for the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. The announcement read: “Tom Felton will reprise his film role of Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Performances begin November 11 for a limited 19 week engagement.”