John Lithgow, cast as Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, has shared his discomfort over pressure to decline the role due to JK Rowling's views on transgender issues. Speaking at the Rotterdam film festival, the actor described Rowling's opinions as ironic given the series' themes of acceptance. He emphasized that Rowling is not involved in the production.
HBO has confirmed the first six cast members for a new TV adaptation of the Harry Potter franchise, based on JK Rowling's novels. The series is set to span eight years, with one season dedicated to each book. Among the announced actors are Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, and John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore.
The project has faced controversy amid Rowling's public statements on transgender matters, including her denial of trans-affirming pronouns and social media posts on the topic. Until recently, the cast had remained silent on the issue.
At a screening of his latest film, Jimpa—a queer family story—at the Rotterdam film festival, the 80-year-old Lithgow, known for roles in How I Met Your Mother and Daddy's Home 2, addressed the backlash. He revealed receiving a letter from an acquaintance with a trans child, titled “An open letter to John Lithgow: Please walk away from Harry Potter.”
“It was a hard decision,” Lithgow told the audience. “It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.”
Lithgow praised Rowling's creation: “JK Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids’ literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories. It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil. It’s about kindness versus cruelty. It’s deeply felt.”
He added, “I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views. I’ve read about them, and I’ve never met her. She’s not really involved in this production at all. The people who are re-adapting Harry Potter and turning it into an eight-year-long TV series are remarkable. … These are people I really want to work with.”
Lithgow expressed upset over opposition to his involvement: “It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in Potter canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She has written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.”
Lithgow takes the subject “extremely seriously,” as reported during the event.
