Nick Frost is giving fans whiplash between being cast in the new Harry Potter series and the upcoming premiere of his new sitcom starring a trans lead.
Transaction revolves around Liv (Jordan Gray), a "transgender egomaniac" who regularly wreaks havoc during the nightshift at the supermarket. In addition to starring in the series, Gray is also credited as its creator — the show initially began as a series of shorts for Comedy Central back in 2020.
Frost reportedly plays Gray's boss at the supermarket. His role in Transaction was announced months before news broke that he would be stepping into the shoes of Hagrid in HBO's new Harry Potter series.
The latter sparked a fair amount of backlash online, which is to be expected considering the constant firestorm surrounding J.K. Rowling and her continued anti-trans crusade under the guise of championing "women's rights."
Despite some attempts to distance the upcoming series from Rowling and her views, HBO chief Casey Bloys previously acknowledged that she was "very involved" in deciding who would help bring the world of Harry Potter to life this time around.
Frost himself has also tried to distance himself from Rowling's beliefs, all while celebrating the casting he told The Observer he attempted to manifest by writing the name "Hagrid" (misspelled "Hadridge") 5000 times.
"[Rowling is] allowed her opinion and I'm allowed mine, they just don't align in any way, shape or form," he said.
And to his credit, he did suggest that it might be better if the controversy surrounding the new Harry Potter series and Rowling's involvement doesn't disappear.
"We shouldn't just hope it will go away, because it makes it easier," he added. "Maybe we should educate ourselves."
Transaction debuts June 24 on ITV.
