Claudia Kim Opens up About the Controversy over Her Role in 'Fantastic Beasts 2'

Korean actress Claudia Kim shared her take on the racism controversy which garnered a tremendous attention among public.

'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' is a second spin-off of 'Harry Potter' series, and expected to cover the battle between wizards in New York who strives to save the world.
At first, a lot of people assume that Claudia Kim will take the role of 'Maledictus', a cursed individual who eventually turns into a beast but it turns out that she will actually take the role of 'Nagini'―the series' ultimate villain Lord Voldemort's beloved snake―as she mentioned in the final trailer of the film.
When the press mentioned the racism controversy, Claudia Kim said, "I didn't see it coming at all. But as an Asian actress, I feel great responsibility. I always try to factor that in whenever I choose a project. But more importantly, I trust our writer, J. K. Rowling. She always speaks up for the underdogs. She once even cast a black actress to play the role of 'Hermione' in a play."
To a question "If 'Nagini' turns into a human being, wouldn't it hurt the film's story line?", she answered, "J. K. Rowling excels at surprising readers with a twist. As you know, every character has their own backstory. I think that's one of the many reasons why fans are in love with this series. I believe the twist in my character could also be one of those reasons."
She added, "A lot of people think of 'Nagini' as just Lord Voldemort's pet snake, but I think she is so much more than that and possesses a great power since she is not just a snake but one of his precious seven hocruxes."
Whilst elaborating on her role, Claudia Kim mentioned, "At first, I didn't even know that I was going to play 'Nagini'. Initially, it was just a woman. I think the whole process was even more secretive than when I filmed 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'. It was only after I had a meeting with Ezra Miller and J. K. Rowling that I heard I was going to be a 'Nagini'."

She continued, "But even before I knew what it really was, I was already in love with my character. She felt like a wounded soul who has a dark past."

Meanwhile, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' is scheduled to be released on November 14.

(Kang Eunbee, Credit= Warner Bros., 'claudiashkim' 'fantasticbeastsmovie' Instagram)

(SBS Star)