COURTESY IANS
Harry Potter star Emma Watson voiced her support for Swaziland-born actor Noma Dumezweni who is set to play Hermione Granger in the upcoming stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Watson, who played the “brightest witch of her age” in the Harry Potter films, shared her excitement on Twitter for Dumezweni. “Can’t wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year,” she wrote.
Dumezweni joins Jamie Parker as Harry Potter and Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley in the production, which picks up 19 years after the events of The Deathly Hallows.
Earlier author J. K. Rowling, who developed the story with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, defended the casting of a black actor for the role of Hermione. “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever… White skin was never specified,” the Harry Potter author tweeted in December 2015.
Harry Potter actor Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, also showed her support for the casting announcement. “OMG, a brand new trio! How strange and exciting! #TheCursedChild. Tbh new Hermione is black, Harry looks like Ron, when I was cast people complained about my hair and it is people’s hearts not their looks that matter.”
The play is set to be staged on June 7 in London.
