J.K. Rowling has endorsed the casting of Swaziland-born black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger in the London theater production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Hermione was played by Emma Watson in the eight film adaptations, but was never described as white in the books, only as having bushy “brown hair and brown eyes.” The production, written with Jack Thorne, features Harry, Hermione, and Ron as adults working at the Ministry of Magic. The show, which begins next year, is the fastest selling in West End history.
