Harry Potter actor Tom Felton distances JK Rowling from franchise's filmmaking process

British actor Tom Felton, popularly known for playing the role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, has distanced the film franchise from author J.K. Rowling.

According to Variety, Felton gave the statement during an interview with The Independent, although he still gave the author credit for being "responsible" for the Harry Potter franchise and connecting people "of all ages, of all backgrounds."

In the past, several of Felton's co-stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, have condemned Rowling after she generated backlash for years due to anti-transgender beliefs.

Though Felton stopped short of outright doing the same, he did say he is "pro-human rights across the board."

"First of all, I don't know enough about the specifics of what anyone said. My dog takes up far too much time for me to go into such matters. I mean, the obvious things to say are that I'm pro-choice, pro-discussion, pro-human rights across the board, and pro-love. And anything that is not those things, I don't really have much time for," Felton said when the subject of Rowling came up, reported Variety.

Distancing the entire Harry Potter film franchise from the controversial author, he added, "It is also a reminder that as much as Jo is the founder of [these] stories, she wasn't part of the filmmaking process as much as some people might think. I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set."

As per Variety, Felton is currently making the press rounds in support of his memoir, 'Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard'.

The book finds the actor reminiscing on his many days spent on the Harry Potter film sets, while also getting honest about his struggles as an actor after the franchise ended.

(ANI)