Kit Harington as Jon Snow and JK Rowling
News Game of Thrones Harry Potter HBO JK Rowling Kit Harington LGBTQ+ TV

Kit Harington praised ‘gender fluid’ upbringing before landing controversial Harry Potter role

'I feel that emotionally men have a problem'

Daisy Phillipson
25th August 2026, 12:53
Add as preferred source on Google
Add as preferred source on Google

As Kit Harington faces criticism for joining the Harry Potter TV series, previous comments in which he praised his “gender fluid” upbringing and spoke out against traditional gender stereotypes have resurfaced.

Less than two weeks after joining season two of HBO’s Harry Potter reboot as Gilderoy Lockhart, Nicholas Hoult has dropped out due to “scheduling conflicts”. He too faced significant backlash at the time due to the involvement of JK Rowling. 

The same announcement revealed that Game of Thrones’ Harington will be taking over, having already voiced Lockhart in last year’s Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions. In his first statement, he told Collider that he’s a “huge Potter fan”. 

But the move has been met with widespread criticism. Despite denying being transphobic, Rowling’s words and actions have been widely condemned by LGBTQ+ rights groups as anti trans.

JK Rowling
Credit: X

While a number of the adult cast members have distanced themselves from Rowling’s views, it’s estimated that she’ll still make tens of millions of pounds each year as an executive producer and the primary rights holder.

And Rowling has continued to use her fortune to provide financial and legal support for individuals and groups challenging trans-inclusive spaces, policies and workplace guidelines.

As such, Harington’s casting hasn’t gone down well. “Not Kit Harrington being a double offender,” wrote one X user, referring to the audio series, while another said, “This choice is proof that he values a ‘role’ over the lives of trans people.”

Others have brought up the fact that Harington has spoken in favour of LGBTQ+ rights, and even described his own childhood as “gender fluid” in the past, making the casting all the more questionable. 

Kit Harington was raised in a ‘gender fluid’ household

Back in 2020, the Game of Thrones star told the Telegraph that his mother, playwright Deborah Jane Catesby, refused to adhere to stereotypical gender roles when raising him and his brother Jack. 

“I idolised my mum. I followed her around the house. It was because of her that I wanted to be an actor. She used to take us to the theatre at least twice a week,” Harington said. 

Kit Harington in Industry
Credit: BBC/HBO

“I asked for a Mighty Max and she bought me a Polly Pocket. I asked for an Action Man and I got a doll – it was very gender fluid from the word go. And I went with it.”

This may have been why he was so interested in playing roles that explore “inherited male trauma” and challenge masculinity. 

“I feel that emotionally men have a problem, a blockage, and that blockage has come from the Second World War, passed down from grandfather to father to son,” Harington continued. 

“We do not speak about how we feel because it shows weakness, because it is not masculine. Having portrayed a man who was silent, who was heroic, I feel going forward that is a role I don’t want to play any more. It is not a masculine role that the world needs to see much more of.”

Although he was talking about breaking down traditional gender roles rather than trans rights specifically, given the controversy surrounding Rowling’s views on sex and gender, it’s not hard to see why the comments have resurfaced following his Harry Potter casting.

And they’re not the only past comments being brought back up. Others have pointed to a 2018 interview with Variety where he criticised Marvel for not casting gay actors. 

“There’s a big problem with masculinity and homosexuality that they can’t somehow go hand in hand,” Harington said. “That we can’t have someone in a Marvel movie who’s gay in real life and plays some superhero. I mean, when is that going to happen?”

Following the Harry Potter news, one person wrote in defense of him. “Kit Harrington hates Trump, hates the Tory party, supports LGBT+ and supported an inclusive play having nights aimed toward POC fans. He’s not the evil person he’s made out to be on Twitter,” they said.

But others disagree, with one asking, “If he supports LGBT then why is he joining that project?” Another commented, “He had the opportunity to really show his support and he has now chosen not to do so. That may not make him evil but it does make him self-interested and a coward.”

Film Shrine has contacted Harington’s representatives for comment. 

For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page.

Featured image credit: HBO/X