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Actor John Lithgow, who has been cast as Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, said he debated quitting the role due to the backlash over creator JK Rowling’s political opinions. HBO’s Harry Potter series is set to debut next year.
Given JK Rowling’s controversial stance of LGBTQ rights, particularly as it relates to the trans community, HBO’s Harry Potter series has become a bit of a divisive project, with the actors being cast in it having to answer for Rowling’s opinions.
These constant questions, according to Lithgow, made him weigh stepping away from the role, which HBO is hoping will extend for a decade. Lithgow is 80 years old.
Actor John Lithgow says he almost stepped away from playing Dumbledore in HBO’s Harry Potter series due to JK Rowling backlash
“In an interview with Out magazine, Aud Mason-Hyde, who plays the grandchild and, like the character, is trans, called him ‘such a beautiful human to make work with.’ But Mason-Hyde found Lithgow’s decision to join the Potter series ‘disconcerting,’ telling Out ‘there’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful.'”
“The social media reaction has been far less gentle, with some posts expressing outrage and encouraging boycotts. Stung, Lithgow considered quitting the series but decided not to, and accepts without rancor that in ‘every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life this will come up.'” [via The New York Times]
In addition to John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, HBO’s Harry Potter series will star Nick Frost as Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, and . newly discovered actors Dominic McLaughlin Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout will star as the lead trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron, respectively. Notably, though, the casting of the villainous Voldemort has not yet been announced.
The cast will be rounded out by Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.
HBO’s Harry Potter began production earlier this year and is set to premiere in the summer of 2027.