Fantastic Beasts: Daniel Radcliffe “Can See Why People Are Frustrated” About Johnny Depp

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We’re still months away from the debut of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but Johnny Depp’s presence in the film continues to cause controversy among fans. (For those who have been hiding under a rock, or patiently staring at their mailbox waiting for a Hogwarts letter: Depp plays Grindelwald, the dark wizard, in the franchise, which launched in the fall of 2016. In the spring of 2016, Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heardaccused him of domestic abuse; Depp has denied the claims.)

It seems unlikely that we’ll get Christopher Plummer in wizardly garb at the end of all this: both Fantastic Beasts director David Yates and scribe J.K. Rowling have defended Depp’s involvement, and seem unlikely to change their positions anytime soon. Harry Potter, however, understands the frustration.

The Boy Who Lived told Entertainment Weekly Friday that the controversy is “a very hard thing” for him to reconcile, given that the franchise gave him, as he put it, “a great start in life and an amazing job.” Still, he said, “I can see why people are frustrated with the response that they were given from that . . . I’m not saying anything that anybody hasn’t already said—and this is a weird analogy to draw—[but] in the N.F.L., there are lots of players arrested for smoking weed, and there is other people’s behavior that goes way beyond that, and it’s tolerated because they’re very famous players. I suppose the thing I was struck by was we did have a guy who was reprimanded for weed on the [original Potter] film, essentially. So obviously what Johnny has been accused of is much greater than that.”

Jamie Waylett, who played Crabbe in the original Harry Potter films, was indeed absent fromHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 after he was caught growing cannabis plants in his bedroom.

Last November, Yates offered this take: “With Johnny, it seems to me there was one person who took a pop at him and claimed something. I can only tell you about the man I see every day: He’s full of decency and kindness, and that’s all I see. Whatever accusation was out there doesn’t tally with the kind of human being I’ve been working with.” Rowling more or less followed suit in December, publishing a statement to her Web site in which she wrote, “Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies . . . I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing.”

To some fans, that will mean skipping the film when it debuts in November. It’s a real pity—especially because Plummer would make a great Grindelwald.

Get Vanity Fair’s HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:Daniel Radcliffe’s Quirky Post-Harry Potter Projects: An Appreciation

The Woman in Black (2012)

This British period horror flick was Radcliffe’s first major outing post-Potter. Radcliffe starred as Arthur Kipps, a lawyer dealing with the loss of his wife who soon finds himself dealing with a supernatural threat—the titular woman in black. The movie made £14 million in its first three weeks at its home box office, a record U.K. opening for a British horror film.Photo: From CBS Films/Everett Collection.*A Young Doctor’s Notebook* (2012-2013)

A Young Doctor’s Notebook (2012-2013)

It’s not often you get to see Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe hang out in a bathtub together, so if nothing else, A Young Doctor’s Notebook gave that to the world. Radcliffe played the titular young doctor to Hamm’s older doctor in this delightfully zany series, which was largely well received by critics and ran for two seasons.Photo: From AF Archive/Alamy.*Kill Your Darlings* (2013)

Kill Your Darlings (2013)

In this period flick, Radcliffe took his first movie-length stab at an American accent, playing a younger version of the beloved beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Although his role entailed a much-discussed gay sex scene, Radcliffe said the hardest part was “hitting all those big emotional beats,” and crying when the script called for it.Photo: By Clay Enos/Sony Pictures/Everett Collection.*What If* (2014)

What If (2014)

By far Radcliffe’s warmest, fuzziest role came in this rom-com, which finds Radcliffe’s character Wallace falling in love with a girl named Chantry (Zoe Kazan). This part, like so many others in Radcliffe’s career, involved his bare butt—which was a little too much to handle for some fans who still remembered him as Harry Potter. But overall, the movie—and Radcliffe—were insistently adorable.Photo: By Caitlin Cronenberg/CBS Films/Everett Collection.*Swiss Army Man* (2016)

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Yes, the legendary “farting corpse movie.” This film co-starring Paul Dano was an immediate enigma for those who heard about it outside of Sundance: it inspired both standing ovations and walk-outs. But it’s visually enchanting, with a warm message that resonated with many viewers. Radcliffe plays Manny, a cheerful, naïve corpse whom Dano’s character Hank must teach to be human again. The two have great chemistry, and their adventure together is a gaseous odyssey for the ages.Photo: Courtesy of A24.*Now You See Me 2* (2016)

Now You See Me 2 (2016)

In Now You See Me 2, Radcliffe did a total 180 from the Potterverse by playing the skeptic within another franchise’s magical universe—a reversal that Radcliffe himself told Vanity Fair he hadn’t even thought about.

“The people I admire are always the people that manage to mix it up and do both: do super commercial stuff, and do super weird indies as well,” Radcliffe said. “And that’s kind of the career I want for myself.”

A highlight from that experience, Radcliffe added, was working with Michael Caine, whose achievements and reputation he called “the Everest of my own personal aspiration.”

Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.*Imperium* (2016)

Imperium (2016)

This upcoming thriller finds Radcliffe’s character, an F.B.I. agent named Nate Foster, seemingly in over his head as he attempts to infiltrate a white-supremacist group to stop them from making a bomb. The first trailer was pretty intense, and now fans can finally see whether Nate pulls off the undercover gig—or gets himself killed trying.Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.PreviousNext

<em>The Woman in Black</em> (2012)

The Woman in Black (2012)

This British period horror flick was Radcliffe’s first major outing post-Potter. Radcliffe starred as Arthur Kipps, a lawyer dealing with the loss of his wife who soon finds himself dealing with a supernatural threat—the titular woman in black. The movie made £14 million in its first three weeks at its home box office, a record U.K. opening for a British horror film.From CBS Films/Everett Collection.

<em>A Young Doctor’s Notebook</em> (2012-2013)

A Young Doctor’s Notebook (2012-2013)

It’s not often you get to see Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe hang out in a bathtub together, so if nothing else, A Young Doctor’s Notebook gave that to the world. Radcliffe played the titular young doctor to Hamm’s older doctor in this delightfully zany series, which was largely well received by critics and ran for two seasons.From AF Archive/Alamy.

<em>Kill Your Darlings</em> (2013)

Kill Your Darlings (2013)

In this period flick, Radcliffe took his first movie-length stab at an American accent, playing a younger version of the beloved beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Although his role entailed a much-discussed gay sex scene, Radcliffe said the hardest part was “hitting all those big emotional beats,” and crying when the script called for it.By Clay Enos/Sony Pictures/Everett Collection.

<em>What If</em> (2014)

What If (2014)

By far Radcliffe’s warmest, fuzziest role came in this rom-com, which finds Radcliffe’s character Wallace falling in love with a girl named Chantry (Zoe Kazan). This part, like so many others in Radcliffe’s career, involved his bare butt—which was a little too much to handle for some fans who still remembered him as Harry Potter. But overall, the movie—and Radcliffe—were insistently adorable.By Caitlin Cronenberg/CBS Films/Everett Collection.

<em>Horns</em> (2014)

Horns (2014)

Horns wasn’t quite as earnest as The Woman in Black; it was a horror comedy that found Radcliffe suddenly growing horns after his girlfriend gets murdered. Radcliffe had shown off his comedic chops before—both in the Potter movies and in his guest appearance on the The Simpsons—but this was his first dedicated shot at a comedic role. His delivery wasn’t as charismatic as it would be in future movies like Now You See Me 2, but practice, as they say. . .By Doane Gregory/Dimension Films/Everett Collection.

<em>Trainwreck</em> (2015)

Trainwreck (2015)

Radcliffe’s appearance in Amy Schumer’s blockbuster rom-com was brief but memorable. He appears in a black-and-white art film within the movie as a dog walker who gets very friendly with some of his clients. Radcliffe told BuzzFeed that Judd Apatow offered him the role backstage while he was still doing The Cripple of Inshmaan on Broadway. And that ridiculous belt of leashes he wears in the movie? That was Radcliffe's idea.From Abaca USA/AKM-GSI.

<em>Victor Frankenstein</em> (2015)

Victor Frankenstein (2015)

And then, back to horror Radcliffe went—in this sci-fi-infused romp co-starring James McAvoy. Radcliffe took on the role of Igor, a talented surgeon, while McAvoy tackled the film’s iconic titular role. Their collective star power might not have been enough to save the movie from bad reviews, but the film remains pretty much the only chance fans have at seeing Radcliffe with long hair.By Alex Bailey/20th Century Fox/Everett Collection.

<em>Swiss Army Man</em> (2016)

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Yes, the legendary “farting corpse movie.” This film co-starring Paul Dano was an immediate enigma for those who heard about it outside of Sundance: it inspired both standing ovations and walk-outs. But it’s visually enchanting, with a warm message that resonated with many viewers. Radcliffe plays Manny, a cheerful, naïve corpse whom Dano’s character Hank must teach to be human again. The two have great chemistry, and their adventure together is a gaseous odyssey for the ages.Courtesy of A24.

<em>Now You See Me 2</em> (2016)

Now You See Me 2 (2016)

In Now You See Me 2, Radcliffe did a total 180 from the Potterverse by playing the skeptic within another franchise’s magical universe—a reversal that Radcliffe himself told Vanity Fair he hadn’t even thought about.

“The people I admire are always the people that manage to mix it up and do both: do super commercial stuff, and do super weird indies as well,” Radcliffe said. “And that’s kind of the career I want for myself.”

A highlight from that experience, Radcliffe added, was working with Michael Caine, whose achievements and reputation he called “the Everest of my own personal aspiration.”

Courtesy of Lionsgate.

<em>Imperium</em> (2016)

Imperium (2016)

This upcoming thriller finds Radcliffe’s character, an F.B.I. agent named Nate Foster, seemingly in over his head as he attempts to infiltrate a white-supremacist group to stop them from making a bomb. The first trailer was pretty intense, and now fans can finally see whether Nate pulls off the undercover gig—or gets himself killed trying.Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Laura BradleyLaura Bradley is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com. She was formerly an editorial assistant at Slate and lives in Brooklyn.

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