A year on from one of the biggest casting stories in TV, the conversation around HBO’s Harry Potter series still is not going anywhere. The show has been steadily building out its cast, production is underway, and the long-term plan for the reboot is starting to come into focus. But for John Lithgow, stepping into the role of Albus Dumbledore came with a lot more baggage than just taking over an iconic part. The actor has now admitted he seriously considered walking away from the series because of the ongoing controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling.
Speaking to The New York Times, Lithgow said he had to make peace with the fact that Rowling’s views would follow him through every stage of the project.
“Every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life this will come up.”
Even so, Lithgow made clear that agreeing to star in the HBO series should not be taken as support for Rowling’s views. Instead, he pointed to the story itself as something fundamentally opposed to intolerance.
“Harry Potter is clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry.”
Lithgow also stressed that he does not take the subject lightly, and said the issue has weighed on him in a real way. He went on to explain why the disconnect between Rowling’s public stance and the themes of Harry Potter is so troubling to him.
“I take the subject extremely seriously. J.K. 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. I find it inexplicable and ironic.
“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.”
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Who Stars in ‘Harry Potter’?
Alongside Lithgow as Dumbledore, the series stars Janet McTeer is Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu is Severus Snape, Nick Frost is Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon is Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse is Argus Filch. The central trio is led by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The wider cast includes Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, and Warwick Davis returning as Filius Flitwick.
Harry Potter will premiere in 2027 on HBO Max.
- Showrunner
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Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
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Mark Mylod
