Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft apologizes amid Hogwarts Legacy game casting backlash
This is not the heart-stopping content that Heartstopper fans were looking forward to in 2023.
Sebastian Croft, who stars as Ben in the beloved LGBTQ+ teen series on Netflix, made waves online last week when it was revealed that he had been cast as the voice of the playable character in the upcoming Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy. The announcement quickly came under heavy fire from fans of the show who expressed their dismay at his involvement in the game given author J.K. Rowling's history of controversial remarks, which many have deemed transphobic.
Croft took a moment to personally apologize and shed light on his decision to join the game's cast on Saturday.
"I was cast in this project over 3 years ago, back when all Harry Potter was to me, was the magical world I grew up with," he wrote on Twitter. "This was long before I was aware of JK Rowling's views. I believe wholeheartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men."
I was cast in this project over 3 years ago, back when all Harry Potter was to me, was the magical world I grew up with. This was long before I was aware of JK Rowling’s views.
I believe whole heartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men. https://t.co/QTAMClZDda— Sebastian Croft (@SebastianCroft) January 14, 2023
Croft continued, "I know far more now than I did 3 years ago, and hope to learn far more in the next 3. I'm really sorry to anyone hurt by this announcement. There is no LGB without the T."
Despite creating one of the most popular franchises of all time, Rowling has drawn heavy criticism from the Harry Potter fandom for her remarks about the trans community in recent years. The author, who wrote an essay on her stance on trans issues in 2020, has penned multiple harmful tweets, rallied behind other celebrities who've been similarly accused of making transphobic comments, and even wrote a crime novel about an author who is killed after she is canceled for being transphobic online.
Her viewpoint has been publicly denounced by multiple Harry Potter actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. Others, like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, have voiced their support for Rowling.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images; Warner Bros. Games Sebastian Croft; a still from 'Hogwarts Legacy'
Croft isn't the only actor who will lend his voice to the open world video game. He is joined by Simon Pegg, who will play Sirius Black's ancestor Nigellus Black, as well as Downton Abbey's Lesley Nicol, Amelia Gething, Kandace Caine, Luke Youngblood, and more.
Taking place in the late 1800s, Hogwarts Legacy will allow gamers to become a student at the titular school of witchcraft and wizardry, where they'll soon find themselves embarking on "a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world," according to a press release.
The game apparates onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Feb. 10, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions on Apr. 4, and the Nintendo Switch on July 25. Heartstopper will return for season 2 sometime in 2023.
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