‘How to Train Your Dragon Star’ Nico Parker Dismisses Casting Criticisms

Nico Parker is responding to those who take issue with her being cast as Astrid in the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

In a interview with The Times of London published Saturday, June 7, the British actress, 20, addressed online backlash of her playing the fierce young Viking, who in the animated films has blonde hair and blue eyes.

“There’s some people that really love the animated movies and really want to see an exact play-by-play of that film, and I hope that you can watch [the new version] and find something that you love about it, regardless,” Parker said.

“But for the people that just hate inclusivity, hate change — when it comes to that side of things, I just don’t care,” added the daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and director Ol Parker. “If I wouldn’t value your opinion on most things in life, I can’t value your opinion on my hair. If I did, I would go mad.”

Parker also touched on how Hollywood is progressively becoming more diverse in terms of casting and characters seen on screen.

“When I was younger, the amount of mixed-race or Black icons, people that I would look to on screen to be like, ‘Oh, this feels like me,’ felt really minimal in comparison to what it could be for young people now. I think that’s really special,” she said.

“There’s still a long way to go — for women in general, in terms of new parts, original material and female-led stories. But I think that everything’s changing. I’d like to think that I could contribute to that change at some point.”

Costar Mason Thames, who plays Hiccup in the 2025 live-action remake of the beloved animated film, defended Parker’s casting in a recent interview with PEOPLE.

“Nico is so perfect for Astrid. Nobody understood [the character], but she did,” Thames, 17, said. “Seeing that in the movie and seeing her portrayal, it’s truly incredible. She’s one of the highlights of the film.”

Thames added he is eager to see how Parker’s portrayal of the confident and competitive young viking could inspire young audiences. “So many young girls are going to look up to her, and the fact that she gets to be that role model for so many kids — I’m so excited to see her journey,” Thames said.

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The new film is directed by Dean DeBlois, director of the animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. The three animated films, inspired by author Cressida Cowell’s book series, came out in 2010, 2014 and 2019, and each earned Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature.

The cast also features Gerard Butler, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur.

A synopsis for the film teases, “On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.”

How to Train Your Dragon is in theaters June 13.