John Lithgow has revealed he almost backed out of playing Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter series after facing extreme backlash from fans and former co-stars.
After it was announced the American actor, 80, would be taking on the role last October, he was quickly met by backlash from his fans – calling for him to walk away from the project over JK Rowling’s views on trans rights.
And John’s non-binary co-star Aud Mason-Hyde last month branded his casting in the series ‘hurtful and difficult’.
Now, John has revealed the backlash ‘stung’ and made him consider pulling out of the series during a new interview with The New York Times.
John went on to insist he does not agree with JK’s views on trans rights and in a further swipe to the author said the story of Harry Potter is ‘clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry’.
JK has faced intense criticism in recent years for her gender critical views, including from several stars of the Harry Potter films, but has denied being transphobic – despite previously said she would ‘happily’ go to jail for misgendering a trans person.
John Lithgow has revealed he almost backed out of playing Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter series after facing extreme backlash from fans and former co-stars (Pictured filming as Dumbledore)
John went on to insist he does not agree with JK Rowling’s views on trans rights before dealing a further swipe to the author (JK pictured in 2022)
Actor John will join a star-studded cast for the new HBO TV adaptation of the popular franchise, which will make its debut on screens nearly 15 years after the last film.
While he has decided to pursue the role, John added that he knows ‘every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life this will come up’.
In the wake of the announcement, John revealed that a friend with a trans child sent him a link to an article entitled: ‘An open letter to John Lithgow: Please walk away from Harry Potter’ – something he admitted made him feel ‘uncomfortable’.
John also addressed the backlash last month as he swiped at the author’s ‘ironic and inexplicable’ views on trans women – and insisted she’s ‘not really involved in series at all’.
JK, 60, is serving as an executive producer on the new TV series, which also stars Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Quizzed about his decision to join the TV show, which is due for release in 2027, despite criticism from fans, actor John admitted it was a ‘hard’ one to make.
He told Variety that while he took the subject of Rowling’s anti-trans views ‘extremely seriously’, he was ‘perfectly ready for collisions of opinion’ and ‘understands’ that not everyone will support his choice.
John said: ‘She has created this amazing canon for young people, and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society, it’s about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty.
After it was announced the American actor, 80, would be taking on the role last October, he was quickly met by backlash from his fans – calling for him to walk away from the project over JK’s views on trans rights (Pictured in 2022)
John’s non-binary co-star Aud Mason-Hyde last month branded his casting in the series ‘hurtful and difficult’ (Aud and John pictured in film Jimpa)
‘I find her views ironic and inexplicable.
‘It upsets me when people are opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in “Potter” canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity.’
The actor also detailed that he had never met JK and that, despite her contributions to the HBO show, she was ‘not really involved in its production’.
Instead he heaped praise on the production staff as ‘remarkable’, as he concluded: ‘It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.’
Days after this interview, John’s Jimpa co-star Aud, who is non-binary, shared their disappointment at his casting.
Aud plays Olivia’s character Hannah’s non-binary child Frances, while John plays Hannah’s father Jim, known as Jimpa, who they visit in Amsterdam.
The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January 2025.
While Aud, who stars alongside John and Olivia Colman in 2025 movie Jimpa, conceded that the actor is ‘a beautiful human’, they branded his casting ‘disconcerting, difficult and hurtful’.
Michael Gambon is pictured playing Dumbledore in 2007 movie adaptation Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
They said: ‘He is such an incredibly talented actor, but also such a beautiful human to make work with, and that was my experience with John. I never felt invalidated or questioned or doubted in my identity or in my transness by him….
‘I consistently felt that he was a very loving and a very guiding co-star. And so there’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful…
‘But also I think that he’s making this decision after we had made the film and after we had premiered the film, can’t take away from what we had and the time that we spent together and the beautiful work that he does in this movie and actually how incredibly authentically he played the role…
‘It was definitely a difficult moment in time. I don’t think it’s worth speaking to John’s reasoning by any means, but I do also think that it’s a strange decision, for sure.
‘And also I found it disconcerting, maybe, is the right word.’
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