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John Lithgow has called the backlash to him being cast in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series “odd”, and said that the discourse surrounding JK Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric shouldn’t be a “factor at all”.
Lithgow will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the high-profile HBO adaptation of the famous books. The Olivier Award-winning actor, who recently won the gong for his towering turn as Roald Dahl in Giant, was confirmed as a cast member earlier this month along with Nick Frost, Janet McTeer and Paapa Essiedu.
Although the show is yet to start filming, there is already a growing backlash attached to it due to Rowling’s comments about the transgender community, which have seen her criticised by notable celebrities such as David Tennant and Pedro Pascal.
Speaking to The Times, Lithgow said that he wasn’t put off by the potential controversy at all: “I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her.”
The 79-year-old also shared that he had been sent an article called “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter” by a “very good friend” who has a trans daughter.
Lithgow admitted that he didn’t expect such criticism, adding: “Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play. It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”
Turning to his role in Giant, Lithgow questioned why there were no complaints about him playing Dahl, a renowned antisemite, in contrast to his Harry Potter part: “No one complained when I agreed to play Dahl, but I’ve received so many messages about JK Rowling. Isn’t that odd?”
Reflecting on playing Dahl, Lithgow called The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author a “complicated man damaged by terrible tragedies”.
“Everything that was humane and compassionate about Dahl had to be in the play, along with the vitriol and cruelty, and you can see all that in his stories too.”
Speaking to The Independent about the role last year, Lithgow explained that what fascinated him in particular about Dahl was the “origins of that hatred… I think so much of that comes from injury, from damage.”
“He was a charmer and a wit, but he had a vile temper and he could be horrible to people,” he continued. “And he had a deeply emotional side. He endured awful grief when one of his children was badly injured and another passed away.”
English (US) ·