While the new Harry Potter series has begun casting and there’s been excitement from fans, the discourse surrounding J.K. Rowling’s trans stance has also surrounded the series. It’s something John Lithgow was made aware of around the time he said yes to playing the new version of Dumbledore in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, but he says it wasn’t a “big” factor when determining whether or not he would take the role.
Instead, his biggest concern had to do with his own mortality and the length of the Potter series. Previous reports indicated that Max would like to release the Harry Potter series over the course of the next decade, which means Lithgow will be contracted to the gig for quite some time. Unlike the young cast, he says that’s a much bigger factor to consider.
The Times in a recent interview, he directly addressed Rowling and the actual ‘big decision’ he had to make.
No, [Rowling was] absolutely not [a factor]. 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.
Harry Potter roles like Professor Dumbledore are considerably meaty, and Warner Bros. reportedly isn’t holding back with the budget on the new Rowling series, either. So, it’s easy to see why the gig might be both appealing and daunting, particularly at the ripe age of 79. (The actor turns 80 in October.) If the show gets off the ground later in the year and premieres in 2026 as expected, that means Lithgow would be around 90 by the time the whole thing wraps.
It’s definitely something to consider. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t note the original Harry Potter movies dealt with a disruption in the middle after Richard Harris died following Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets wrapping filming. He was only 72. That was obviously a huge loss to that franchise, and while I would hope Lithgow has all the time in the world to complete filming the new series, he did absolutely factor the time component in.
Lithgow did say he was made aware of the Internet controversy surrounding the prolific author as he was signing on for the series. He told the outlet a friend of his who is the “mother of a trans child” did inform him, but when asked if it was ever a consideration factor for taking on a role in the popular franchise he said “heavens no” when it came into someone’s politics factoring into his decision to take a role. He elaborated:
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.
Rowling is involved in the new Harry Potter series as an executive producer, but separate writers, directors and showrunners are being hired for the new version, which fans will be able to view with a Max Subscription.