John Lithgow Addresses Backlash To His Harry Potter Casting After Receiving An Open Letter Asking Him To Quit The Show

John Lithgow has addressed backlash to his casting in the upcoming Harry Potter series for HBO after receiving an open letter asking him to quit the show. Lithgow was recently revealed to be joining the cast of the Harry Potter TV show as Dumbledore, picking up the mantle from Richard Harris and Michael Gambon before him. He is joined by Nick Frost as Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, all of whom will have important roles in their lengthy tenures on the show.

However, speaking with The Times of London (via Variety), Lithgow discussed how he’d received backlash for his upcoming role as Dumbledore in Harry Potter. These pleas to reconsider his role were specifically due to author J.K. Rowling’s controversial statements against the transgender community. The actor explained how he initially thought of the role in terms of how long he’d be able to commit to it, without considering any other outside factors:

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

However, when “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child” directed him to an open letter from Book Riot‘s Dankia Ellis asking him to quit the show, he considered Rowling’s past comments carefully. Ultimately, though, he decided to keep his role as Dumbledore, statements against his casting not changing his mind. Check out more of what Lithgow had to say below:

That was the canary in the coal mine.

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.

[When asked if the backlash changed his mind on the role] Oh, heavens no.

More to come…

Source: The Times of London (via Variety); Book Riot