Even though there are no more books to line up for at midnight, there is still Harry Potter news to get excited about, and questions to ask ourselves, like who is Noma Dumezweni, for example. If you haven't heard, because you aren't constantly scrolling through the Internet for new tidbits of knowledge about Harry Potter, let me catch you up — Noma Dumezweni was recently cast as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the stage production that will hit London's West End in July 2016. Hurray! Normally I don't like to talk all that much about Cursed Child, since my mean old wallet is preventing me from flying across an ocean to see it, but I'll make an exception today for Dumezweni, because her casting is so exciting.
We officially have a black Hermione, and I couldn't be prouder to live in that world. Even though the character of Hermione Granger was played by Emma Watson in the movies, who is clearly white, it's often been pointed out that Granger was written into the books without her race specified, so it's incredibly exciting that the folks casting Cursed Child took advantage of the opportunity to branch out a little and award the role to Dumezweni. Because oh boy is she deserving. Hers wasn't a name I recognized off the top of my head, but now that I've done a bit of digging around, I'm confident that Dumezweni is an amazing fit for the role of Hermione.
1. She's Been Working Consistently In The Entertainment Industry Since 2001
She has credits ranging from stage to television to movies to radio, and almost no down time in between, which proves she's got incredible hustle. She works pretty much exclusively on British projects, so I don't recognize all the titles on her resume, but Shameless and Doctor Who certainly stood out! If you're a fan of either of those shows, you probably remember Dumezweni's work on them.
2. She Is 46 Years Old
Remember, Cursed Child is set a number of years after the epilogue in The Deathly Hallows, so the characters are entering middle age. We have a new generation of teenage wizards now!
3. She's From South Africa, But Moved To England At A Young Age
Specifically, she was born in Swaziland, to South African parents, who later moved the family to England for her education; starting in Suffolk, and then moving to London.
4. She's A Single Mother
And Dumezweni was raised by a single mother as well, so don't mess with her.
5. She Won An Olivier Award In 2005
That's the highest honor in British theater, equivalent to the United States' Tony Awards, and Dumezweni earned it for her work in the show A Raisin In The Sun.
6. She's Unshakeable
When Kim Cattrall pulled out of a show called Linda at the Royal Court in November, Dumezweni stepped in to replace her with just a week to prepare. She appeared onstage with her script in her hand for opening night, and the audience went nuts in support of her.
7. She Has J.K. Rowling's Support
I'm not crying, you're crying.
So now that we have a little taste of who Noma Dumezweni is as a person, I can't wait to see... ugh, I mean hear all about how much she kills it in Cursed Child. Congratulations, and we're all rooting for you!
