Entertainment
Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch on JK Rowling controversy: ‘It makes me sad that this has happened’
The actress opened up about her struggle with anorexia in her book The Opposite Of Butterfly Hunting (Picture: Getty/ Metro.co.uk)
Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch, 30, on recovering from anorexia, being a fangirl and how Potterheads have taken over.
Your memoir, The Opposite Of Butterfly Hunting, talks about your struggle with anorexia. Was it cathartic to write?
I’d been planning the book in my head for years and it was a relief to get it all down. I always wanted to write this but I had a lot of resistance.
I felt as if I wouldn’t feel at peace until it was all out there but it wasn’t the most pleasant or fun book to write. Whenever there was an excuse not to write, I took it! But when the acting jobs dried up during lockdown, it gave me the time to focus on writing.
How does the public view anorexia?
We get too distracted by the physical symptoms. We’re curious about the salacious details but focusing on that is counterproductive to healing because it’s reinforcing the eating disorder.
The actress has penned a book (Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Anorexia is a submission to your ego and obsession with numbers and appearance. I tried to avoid those details while writing.
I don’t want people to be thinking about what my weight was or how many calories I ate in a day, I want them to understand what was going on beneath the surface. It’s a mental illness, not a physical one.
You call the book your own fairy tale…
I love fairy tales. I see them as stories about a person who goes on a quest to find a piece of themselves and reconnect with it.
Fairy tales do have a lot of depth to them but I think they can be oversimplified, which my book tries not to do. You can have a simple, sweet, happy fairy tale but I prefer the ones that have a bit of darkness and you get a bit lost and struggle to find yourself again.
It’s quite full circle that you started off writing Harry Potter fan fiction and now you’re a published author…
It is full circle! The journey was going from being a nerd with the other fans to being a part of it myself!
The whole fangirl thing doesn’t really affect me, though. I want to empower fans to step into their own creativity, not worship me and the other actors.
Evanna’s best known for playing the quirky Luna Lovegood (Picture: Warner Bros)
It’s been 15 years since you successfully auditioned to be Luna Lovegood. How do you look back on that experience?
I’m very grateful and proud that my career started that way. I love all the people involved. They are all good people who have stayed in my life. In this industry that can be so ruthless and heartbreaking, it’s nice to have a sort of family.
I loved the role and it’s followed me around for years. There are days I wish I could hide from it but I’m proud to have played a part in such a beautiful series.
Do you still meet up with your old co-stars? Who are you closest with?
Probably Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang. We had a joint birthday party in August. I just love her.
And Scarlett Byrne [who played Pansy Parkinson] — she lives in LA but we still FaceTime. I do see them all often, though.
Evanna has ‘hope for healing’ after JK Rowling’s tweets upset many in the trans community (Picture: Dave Allocca/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock)
JK Rowling’s comments on trans people have attracted controversy. How do you feel about that?
I don’t understand what it feels like to be so affected by that so I fully respect when people have to protect their own emotions and their own mental health.
It does make me sad that this has happened and that people have had to step away from something that brought them comfort and joy.
Whatever her comments, I know Jo to be a super-compassionate and kind person and I still hope for healing. I don’t think that conversation is finished.
You were in Silent Witness recently, playing a much darker role. Were you worried about being typecast after Harry Potter?
I had to fight for auditions because people didn’t see me as certain characters but I always tell myself someone else’s perception is really not my business so all I can do is show the other sides of myself.
Do people always recognise your distinctive voice on the phone? All I can hear is Luna!
It happens more and more. Ten years ago this didn’t happen but I think all the Harry Potter fans have grown up and now rule the professional world.
Veganism and animal rights are very important to you. What made you get involved?
I always saw animals as equally deserving of respect and when I was asked to get involved with campaigns, it was always the ones involving animals that tugged on my heartstrings.
More: Metro newspaper
I think people think vegans are mental but I’ve found it to be such a welcoming community.
But veganism is complicated and as I’ve been telling you about this I’ve been feeding my cat, who is definitely not vegan! But I just want to help people make more compassionate choices about food.
The Opposite Of Butterfly Hunting is out now
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