Fantastic Beasts Star Jude Law Says The World’s Ready For A Gay Dumbledore

Not for the first time, Fantastic Beasts star Jude Law has commented on Dumbledore’s sexuality – only this time, the dashing Brit has gone so far as to suggest that the world is in need of a few more gay movie icons.

The New York Times caught up with Law soon after the premiere of The Crimes of Grindelwald, Warner’s second Potter prequel in which he plays the charming, spectacle-free Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the would-be headmaster of Hogwarts.

It’s a sweeping adventure of dark wizards and double-crossing, and while David Yates previously skimmed over any questions about Dumbledore’s sexuality, it turns out the director did shoot one or two sensual senses involving Dumbledore and his former flame, Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp).

Asked if he’d like to see Dumbledore’s sexuality explored further – along with the need for more gay movie icons – Law told NYT the following:

I think the world is ready for it, and if it isn’t, it bloody well should be. Put it this way: This film is not about his homosexuality, nor does his sexuality define him. But that relationship is certainly a defining element of who he is and what he’s about. I also don’t think he’s someone who has given his heart or his soul to many people. The aftermath of their relationship left him reeling, and he’s packed his heart in ice, to be honest, and no one’s quite thawed it.

On a more general note, Law commented on what it was like to audition for one of the most beloved cinematic characters of the modern era. Spoilers: he was a tad apprehensive – at least at first.

No, I don’t believe so. I knew they were looking to bring this character back. And so I put myself forward and, quite rightly, they took it very seriously. They wanted to make sure they got the right person, and I went in and willingly played around in front of a camera so they could have a look at me. I wanted to audition the part just like they wanted to audition me — to get a sense of, “Can I do this beloved role to millions?”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is playing across theaters worldwide, and has already made a few golden Galleons at the global box office – not as much as its predecessor, mind you, but an impressive haul nonetheless. For more coverage on the Potter prequel, be sure to check out our review, in which Matt Donato calls out The Crimes of Grindelwald for being “two-plus overstuffed hours worth of too many characters fighting for screen time that no enchantment can salvage.”