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The Queer Metaphor Behind Ezra Miller's Fantastic Beasts Character
"It’s about factors in your environment are going to tell you you’re wrong for being who you are," says Miller.
The newest addition to J.K. Rowling's wizarding world of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald, was formally released this morning to adoring Potterheads everywhere.
Fantastic Beasts' star, Ezra Miller, returns with the primary cast, but this time around he's putting LGBT advocacy to the forefront of his role.
In an exclusive with the UK's Attitude Magazine, Miller reveals more to why his character, Credence Barebone, is an important metaphor for LGBTs.
“I remember writing a letter to [director] David Yates and [producer] David Hayman after I’d first been given the opportunity and the process to know a little about Credence Barebone, and I remember the thing that I wrote, which was ‘it’s the story for me and a thousand lost friends’,"...“And that’s not just things that are reflected metaphors in real, vital and - seemingly at least - a little intentional ways for the LGBTIA community, but also for communities who are not neurotypical, or people who are creative, people who are sensitive, people who are anything."...“People who are nerds, people who are punks and bicycle addicts and, and, contemporary pirates and people who live on the fringes, who are marginalised."...“Really a lot of these are metaphors that can be reflected.”
In the previous Fantastic Beasts film, plot points were established around Credence's character, developing him as an Obscurial (magical folk with deeply suppressed magic and identity). Miller contemplates that Credence's particular character arc is the film's warning of the consequences of suppressing your identity and nature.
"Ultimately, what’s it about? It’s about factors in your environment are going to tell you you’re wrong for being who you are, and that you should suppress your power to make it nicer for everyone else - and for yourself, ultimately, because if it’s not nicer for everyone else we’re going to make it not nice for you, buddy."..."And then comes the process where if you make the decision – even though you can’t really be blamed for making this decision – but if you make the responsive decision to that environment to repress the power that is your birth-right? Phew. The medicine comes calling. You put the magic in the darkness, and the dark magic will come to call."..."Your expression is unique, it wants to be seen, it wants to be heard."
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is out in theaters today. Check out the trailer below:
