John Lithgow admitted facing backlash from J.K. Rowling’s critics after he joined HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series was not on his bingo card.
In a new interview with the Times of London, the actor revealed that he “absolutely” didn’t foresee the mounting criticisms aimed at him on social media, stemming from Rowling’s many anti-trans controversies.
“It was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” said the 79-year-old actor, who is set to portray Albus Dumbledore in the show based on Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books. “It’s an eight-year commitment, so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”
Lithgow said he was first made aware of the disapproval surrounding Rowling after he received a text from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child.”
“That was the canary in the coalmine,” he declared.
The message, according to the actor, contained a link to an op-ed titled “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter.” The piece accused Rowling of being “anti-trans” and slammed her for having “attacked trans kids directly.”
Over the years, Rowling has come under fire for posting anti-trans rhetoric and publicly supporting anti-trans legislation. Her comments have drawn outrage from fans of the fantasy series, trans activists and Hollywood stars, including “Harry Potter” alum Emma Watson and Pedro Pascal.
When questioned whether the disapproval of Rowling made him think twice about taking on the role, Lithgow replied: “Oh, heavens no.”
In fact, Lithgow told the Times of London that he questioned, “Why this is a factor at all” in the grand scheme of things.
“I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,” he said of the uproar over the best-selling author. “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Lithgow explained the irony that he is now be tied to controversial figures like Rowling and British author Roald Dahl, whom he currently stars as in a West End production of “Giant,” at this “moment in my life.”
Dahl faced criticism before his death in 1990 for making antisemtic statements and using racist tropes and language in some of his novels.
“It’s so interesting to me at this moment in my life, when I’ve always loved entertaining kids, that I should be engaged with these writers — J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl — who are geniuses at entertaining kids but have had crises among adults,” Lithgow said.
The forthcoming “Harry Potter” series was first confirmed in 2023. The show comes more than a decade after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” was released in theaters, wrapping up the titular hero’s journey on the big screen. The series is expected to air in 2026 or 2027.
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