Hermione Granger To Be Played By A Black Actress In Forthcoming Harry Potter Play

The Washington Post reports today that Noma Dumezweni, a British actress of South African descent, will portray Hermione Granger in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. J.K. Rowling, the author of the famous book series, also wrote the script for Cursed Child, and she expressed her excitement about the casting choice on Twitter. “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.”

In 2006, Dumezweni was the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award for her work in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. She has also appeared on the TV show Dr. Who, and acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Cursed Child hits the stage next summer. The production follows Harry Potter later in life when he is balancing his parental duties with work at the Ministry of Magic.