Well, it was only a matter of time, but newly minted Dumbledore actor John Lithgow (“Conclave”), set to play the iconic Wizard in a “Harry Potter” reboot series at HBO/Max, has now commented on creator J.K. Rowling‘s anti-trans community posts and the backlash toward his involvement.
While speaking with the U.K. outlet The Sunday Times (via Entertainment Weekly), Lithgow revealed he was surprised by Rowling’s posts (attacking the global trans community by habitually linking all trans women to sexual predators, as a way to smear efforts of acceptance), but added that he hasn’t met the producer/creator of his new series and was upfront that the criticism hasn’t soured him on participating in the project despite people from his own life suggesting he not get involved with the Potterverse.
READ MORE: Pedro Pascal Blasts J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Views & Calls Her A “Heinous Loser”
“It was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” the actor shared with the Sunday Times about how important the “Harry Potter” role will be for him, given his age. “It’s an eight-year commitment, so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”
Following the announcement of his casting as Dumbledore, Lithgow says he received a text from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child,” linking the veteran actor to the Book Riot op-ed entitled, An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter. Potentially in the hopes he would rethink his involvement, given the proximity to Rowling’s anti-trans activism and the harm it has done.
“That was the canary in the coal mine,” Lithgow said. Adding that he has been surprised by the rage that Rowling’s name and involvement evoke from the public and fans alike. “I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”
Maybe, Lithgow could rewatch his movie “Conclave” for some perspective, as the underlying theme of acceptance of someone’s wishes to identify as a certain gender had a key role in that fantastic drama. Playing Devil’s Advocate, there are certainly plenty of actors who don’t see any of this impacting their own lives, profession, family, or community, so why care? But empathy goes a long way to reach understanding and putting yourself in the shoes of folks from vulnerable sectors of society.
It’s also worth pointing out that Rowling hilariously uses the pseudonym of male writer Robert Galbraith to get her other non-“Potterverse” work published, like “The Cormoran Strike” novels, take that irony as you will, because it’s certainly not lost on us.
One glaring reason that there is even a reboot series is that the fallout from Rowling’s hatemongering online led to franchise actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and David Tennant speaking out against her posts, which may have led to a limited involvement (a pre-recorded message) of the author in the reunion special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts.”
READ MORE: ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Series Taps Luke Thallon As Sinister Professor Quirrell, Other Actors Confirmed By HBO
Not to mention the “Fantastic Beasts” prequel movies that Rowling contributed as a screenwriter fizzled out at Warner Bros. (originally planned for five films but ended at three) in and around the removal of Johnny Depp as a fixture of the prequel films alongside fellow controverisal co-star Ezra Miller (who endured their own legal issues as Warner Bros. quietly ended their working relationship).
Other actors confirmed for the show, hailing from writer Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, include Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape, Luke Thallon as Professor Quirinus Quirrel, Paul Whitehouse as grumpy caretaker Argus Filch, and Nick Frost as monster wrangler Rubeus Hagrid
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Just a reminder that Trans Rights are Human Rights, even if folks like Rowling refuse to accept that concept due to their bigotry, insistence on repeating misinformation, and overt personal biases. As she’s been nothing but emboldened after a recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling and Warner Bros./HBO is all but endorsing these hateful statements by continuing to work with her alongside their deafening silence.
Preventing women and girls from accessing their bathrooms will totally dispel the idea that your movement contains a lot of very angry, potentially unbalanced men who’re currently displaying classic symptoms of narcissistic rage. pic.twitter.com/7LdJOL1DpF— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 28, 2025
It isn’t @RosieDuffield’s or any woman’s fault if a trans-identified man is upset because the Supreme Court told him he’s not a woman. Sections of the media that have been reassuring him he became a woman the moment he said he was one could do with some self reflection, though. https://t.co/X2MKrRjsXp— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 24, 2025