John Lithgow has responded to criticism of him being cast in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
The actor, 79, will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the series, which is yet to be filmed - but there has already been strong backlash to the series, due to JK Rowling’s gender critical views.
Many, including actor Pedro Pascal, recently criticised the author, following her public celebration of a UK Supreme Court decision that trans women are not legally women, with some calling for boycotts of all future Harry Potter projects.
Speaking about the backlash of the series to The Times, Lithgow said: “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.”
He also added that a “very good friend” who has a trans daughter sent him an article titled “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter”.
Lithgow added that he was thinking about his age when he accepted the part.
“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” he added. “It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”
Lithgow, who is playing Roald Dahl in play Giant, said he was surprised he had backlash for his Harry Potter part, when he said he didn’t receive any for playing Dahl, who made anti-Semitic comments.
“No one complained when I agreed to play Dahl, but I’ve received so many messages about JK Rowling,” he said. “Isn’t that odd?”
The backlash against Rowling continues to grow, with fans and public figures alike calling out her views and questioning their future support for any upcoming Wizarding World projects.
Last week, Harry Potter actor Sean Biggerstaff publicly criticised the author, calling her an “obsessed billionaire” and “bigoted” in a series of posts on social media following her celebration of the court ruling.
