Warwick Davis defends Noma Dumezweni casting

Warwick Davis discusses Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and talks about how the entertainment industry is becoming more tolerant of difference.

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Actor Warwick Davis has appeared in everything from Star Wars to Willow to Star Wars again to Harry Potter, where he played both Professor Flitwick and Griphook the goblin. He’s carved out quite a niche for himself in genre fare, and he reflected in a recent interview with Express how Hollywood is getting better at accepting performers who are different.

"Generally I think it’s slowly moving forward and it shouldn’t really be a word you have to use, but acceptance of difference is improving. It’s improving in the industry certainly, take my own case for example; I’m getting far more opportunities now that have no relation to how tall I am, they’re purely asking for me to do the job because they like my presenting, hosting and acting skills."

Between Davis and Peter Dinklage over on Game of Thrones, the world is getting a load of how little height counts for performance ability. Still, Davis doesn’t think change comes easy.

"It’s ever so hard to force change, I think change has to come through subtle persuasion and just doing the right thing and then people sit up and go ‘well, hang on that is a good way of doing it’. If you scream and shout about it I think that makes people less likely to listen."

Davis also talked a bit about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is currently playing in London. He didn’t say specifically whether he’d seen the play, but sounds 100% behind it.

"I think it is great that the play has come to the West End, it’s a new story. Knowing J.K. Rowling as I do from our previous work, there’ll be that commitment quality through and through. It’s already sold out for two years so it’s very successful."

Speaking of difference in entertainment, Davis weighed in on the casting controversy that sprung up after it was announced that Noma Dumezweni, a black woman, would be playing a grown up Hermione Granger in Cursed Child. Davis seems to think the whole thing is as unimportant as the rest of us.

"I don’t see why any casting should be controversial at all anyway. We’re in an age of diversity, so I think it has no significance whatsoever. People are [so quick to judge]. I find that in my own career as well, you need to see past colour and you need to see past physical difference as well, in casting definitely. If you don’t do that then you won’t be reflecting the real world, because the real world is a very diverse place that is one that’s becoming more inclusive and that should be reflected in entertainment as well."

An interesting aside before we sign off: although the comments Davis made in the interview are illuminating, the actor had a problem with the headline Express came up with. Take it away, Mr. Davis.

Oh, dear. Express is taking some heat for the headline on Twitter.

Next: Cast of Star Trek: Beyond boldly goes to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

At the moment, Davis is producing and starring in a new West End play, a “classic love story between two teenagers,” called Eugenius!