The White Lotus star, Jason Isaacs is currently facing controversies for his bizarre “double standard” comment on his onscreen n*dity and his further attempt to backtrack his remarks. And suddenly, amid this chaotic time, we were reminded of when he refused to attack J.K. Rowling, following her remarks on the transgender community.
Previously in 2020, when J.K. Rowling came under fire for her outspoken remarks on transgender rights, most of her Harry Potter stars stood against her—but not Jason Isaacs. Claiming to have different opinions from Rowling, in regards to trans rights, Issacs then highlighted the author’s goodwill and simply refused to criticize her.
Unlike the Golden Trio, Jason Isaacs refused to criticize J.K. Rowling’s controversial opinions
Ever since the rise of the LGBTQ+ movement, J.K. Rowling has been the center of controversy surrounding her blatant remarks on transgender rights. So much so that even her Harry Potter stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint publicly disagreed with her views and slammed the author.
However, Jason Isaacs, who portrayed Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films chose a different approach. Much like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, even Isaacs refused to attack J.K. Rowling for having her own set of opinions, that had every right to differ from the mass population.
Isaacs told The Telegraph,
I don’t want to get drawn into the trans issues, talking about them, because it’s such an extraordinary minefield. She has her opinions, I have mine. They differ in many different areas.
But one of the things that people should know about her too — not as a counter-argument — is that she has poured an enormous amount of her fortune into making the world a much better place, for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children, through her charity Lumos.
So, for all that she has said some very controversial things, I was not going to be jumping to stab her in the front — or back — without a conversation with her, which I’ve not managed to have yet.
Acknowledging that his opinions differ from J.K. Rowling’s on various matters, Jason Isaacs emphasized her significant charitable contributions. Highlighting her work with Lumos, Isaacs expressed reluctance to criticize her without having a personal conversation. Similarly, even Helena Bonham Carter supported Rowling in her remarks and Ralph Fiennes told The Telegraph that he doesn’t “understand the vitriol directed at her”.
But when it came to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—all three of them slammed the author for her remarks. Radcliffe wrote an essay for The Trevor Project claiming “transgender women are women”, while Watson actively indulged in activism and criticized Rowling on public platforms. And as for Grint, the actor openly slammed Rowling by claiming his support for the trans community.
The White Lotus star is currently under fire for his “double standard” comment on nudity
While Jason Isaacs previously stood by J.K. Rowling despite having different opinions, the actor seems to have now found himself drowning in controversy following the third season of HBO’s The White Lotus. In the show, as Isaacs had a nude scene which sparked widespread discussion, he was constantly questioned about it during interviews. And shockingly, the actor called it a “double standard” as his nudity became a focal point of discussion.
According to reports from EW, as Jason Isaacs was asked to discuss his full-frontal nude scene, the actor attempted to dodge the question by reflecting on the “double standard” that male actors face when it comes to onscreen nudity. He even pointed to Anora‘s Mikey Madison and The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley and stated how the two women weren’t asked to discuss their prosthetic genitalia.
This whole discussion later led Jason Isaacs to receive massive scrutiny and backlash, which then forced him to backtrack his comments and clarify that he misspoke. Speaking with Variety, Issacs thus noted that his intention was not to suggest that men have faced greater challenges regarding on-screen nudity. Claiming to be tired and frustrated with the same question during interviews, Isaacs admitted how he tried to dodge the question.
I said the wrong words in the wrong way. I used the phrase ‘double standard,’ which I didn’t mean at all. There is a [different] double standard — women have been monstrously exploited and men haven’t.
It came out wrong, and I was tired — I’d done so many interviews. I absolutely should not have mentioned those two actresses, whom I respect enormously. Mikey Madison I’m a massive fan of. My point wasn’t that men have had a harder time than women — that would be absurd. Women have had a monstrous time on camera forever, and I hope to God that is changing.
Admitting that his controversial comment was a result of his frustration and discomfort with the invasive nature of the questions, Jason Isaacs hoped that the twists and turns awaiting in The White Lotus’ third season would allow people to finally move on from his nude scene.
Harry Potter films and The White Lotus are both available on Max.
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