In an interview with the Sunday Times of London, Paapa revealed that since news of his casting was revealed, the actor has received racially-motivated messages of hate on social media — including, most concernedly, death threats. “I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you,’” he claimed.
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“It really matters," he said. "The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ So while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered…That could age badly!"
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"But, yes, while I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.”
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Paapa went on to explain that, rather than act as a deterrent, the abusive messages actually "fuel" him to continue on with the role “and makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world?"
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"That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of.”