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David Thewlis plays his "Harry Potter" character as a gay junkie
By James Brady RyanApril 5th, 2011, 10:00 amComments (12)
David Thewlis, the actor who portrays werewolf Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter series, may have just outed another character: in an interview at a promotional "jolly" for the upcoming final film — I'm sorry, I have to interrupt here and ask our U.K. readers what the fuck a "jolly" is — Thewlis claimed that he's always played Lupin as a gay junkie. And this is on the advice of Alfonso Cuarón, naturally:
Thewlis revealed that director Alfonso Cuarón gave him a bit of advice which was to play the character as a 'gay junkie'.
Thewlis hadn't read all of the books up to that point so had no idea that this interpretation would be untrue and later refuted by Rowling. As fans will know, Remus Lupin ends up with Nymphadora Tonks, whoThewlis said he was 'pleased' to get as his leading lady. However, the actor also revealed he had to rein in his gayness in the subsequent films once he discovered that Remus would get romantic with a lady.
Right right, totally married now! Not to get all fan fiction on you, but if anyone was gay in those books — and I'm including Dumbledore in this estimation, and he actually is gay — it was Remus Lupin. (And Sirius Black, his committed life partner.) There is almost literally no other way to read a character who was ostricized and forced to resign from his job for a "condition" that gives him "urges" he couldn't control in the 1980s. Just no other way, my friends.
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Harry Potter
Commentarium (12 Comments)
Another way to "read a character who was ostracized and forced to resign from his job for a 'condition' " is as a metaphor for being HIV-positive.
I think JK Rowling actually commented on this once. He was bitten by a werewolf as a child. So it's a condition that was transmitted to him, it's treatable but not curable, and it is misunderstood and stigmatized by a community which doesn't really understand it.
Very true, B. Rowling was probably more subversive than people give her credit for.
No she wasn't.
Yes she was?
(BAM, nailed that rebuttal.)
Funny, because I always thought Tonks was pretty dykey. Maybe it's a marriage of convenience?
Tonks was SO DYKEY. (I'm allowed to say that. I promise.) Lavender marriage ahoy!
Remember: If you want to be an edgy fringey outcast, go gay!
A "jolly" is probably best interpreted as a boondoggle. Some thing you get paid to do that doesn't take much effort, and might well turn out to be fun.
Who gives a fuck?
I always saw the Lupin/Tonks relationship as a nod to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Neither Tonks nor Remus could have Sirius, so they slept with each other to be closer to him.
Maybe I'm overthinking this. But Lupin is clearly, clearly gay.
Dude, right on there brthoer.
If you're looking to buy these atircles make it way easier.