Harry Potter series star John Lithgow surprised by J.K. Rowling backlash: ‘Why is this a factor?’

John Lithgow in April and J.K. Rowling in 2022.Credit: Neil Mockford/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Despite his new role as the wisest wizard at Hogwarts, John Lithgow is a little out of the loop.

The actor, slated to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, may have missed the last few years of headlines and controversies surrounding franchise author, J.K. Rowling, because he had no idea that his casting would be met with harsh backlash from her many critics.

While signing onto the show was a big decision, the Rowling of it all was not the factor holding him back, Lithgow told U.K.’s Sunday Times.

“It was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” the actor, 79, shared. “It’s an eight-year commitment, so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”

But following the announcement, he received a text from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child,” linking him to a Book Riot op-ed entitled, An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter.

John Lithgow in February.Frazer Harrison/WireImage

“That was the canary in the coal mine,” Lithgow said. The actor went on to explain that he has been surprised by the rage that Rowling’s name and involvement evokes.

“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,” he said.

As for whether the criticism has soured the role for him, Lithgow replied, “Oh, heavens no.”

Rowling has long been criticized by LGBTQ+ organizations and members of her own fan base for reiterating hurtful rhetoric that is tied to the TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) movement, which posits the belief that trans women are not women. Lithgow, who has not directly commented on her anti-trans remarks, has played several queer and transgender characters across his career, even earning an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of trans woman Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp.

In his chat with the Times, Lithgow pointed out that he is no stranger to being associated with controversial figures. The actor is currently starring as Roald Dahl in a West End production of Giant, which explores a period where the author faced scandal over his antisemitic statements

John Lithgow in March; Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore for ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007).Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Murray Close/Warner Bros

“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.

In the years since Rowling began espousing anti-trans rhetoric, several Harry Potter stars — including franchise leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson — have spoken out against her, in support of the trans community.

Meanwhile, HBO and Max CEO Casey Bloys has claimed that the Harry Potter TV show hasn’t “felt any impact” from Rowling’s anti-transgender views, insisting, “It hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff or anything.”

While the upcoming Harry Potter series has yet to announce its young stars, other confirmed cast members include Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.