Non-binary film extra accuses crew of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ of being queerphobic
Jamie Windust starred as an extra in the 'Harry Potter' spin-off movie
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A non-binary film extra has accused the cast and crew of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald of being queerphobic.
Jamie Windust – who identifies as non-binary – landed a role as an extra in the highly anticipated sequel to the 2015 Harry Potter spin-off.
However, as the first reviews emerge, the film scored the lowest US box office opening in any of the Harry Potter franchise, and Jamie took to Twitter and said it was the “worst jobs” they have ever worked on.
Jamie wrote: “I worked as an extra on this film and it was one of the worst jobs I have ever done. Literally ever.
“Misogyny, homophobia, transphobia everywhere plus 16 hour days in minus temperatures. Atrocious.”
I worked as an extra on this film and it was one of the worst jobs I have ever done. Literally ever. Misogyny, homophobia, transphobia everywhere plus 16 hour days in minus temperatures. Atrocious. https://t.co/KOal3hpOMp
— Jamie Windust (@fabjamiefab) November 19, 2018
Jamie continued in a Twitter thread that they were “segregated into the ‘male’ group” and accused the film crew of not challenging any of the homophobia towards other extras.
They wrote: “I understand these events are long days and long hours, but to work from 4am – 6pm for weeks solid was inevitably going to be stressful, and with the lack of acknowledgement for my gender identity to also be a factor here, i obviously wasn’t excited to work
“This isn’t necessarily the organisers fault, but the other extras were incredibly misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic to the members of the cast who were visibly diverse, and due to the fact i was segregated into the ‘male’ group, I heard a lot of this vile rhetoric
“sometimes championed and goaded by members of staff eg) oggling women, discussing having sex with other cast members, but also the homophobia towards other extras all went unchallenged and allowed to happen”
Jamie then told Out Magazine that it was “almost fraternity-esque” and said: “Just the language that they were using, now that I look back on it, was quite alarming.
“They were basically asking for supernatural, weird looking, androgynous people, which I understand that I do have that look.
“I think because I was so new to the industry, and because I had just started, I didn’t want to look like I was ungrateful.
“It’s almost fraternity-esque… I would hear all the disgusting kind of chat about women and the homophobic slurs around other queer people who maybe were expressing more visibly queer.”