American actor John Lithgow has addressed how his fans feel after accepting the role in the HBO series "Harry Potter," as well as criticism of the creator of the franchise and the novels based on which the films were made, J.K. Rowling, and stressed that he will not give up on Dumbledore.
Speaking to The Times, Lithgow confirmed that he had received some criticism for joining the cast of the series, and for Rowling's controversial comments about the transgender community.
The star of the film "Conclave" said that it was something he "absolutely did not expect," and that he was more concerned about his age when he was considering accepting the role of Dumbledore.
"Of course, it was a big decision, because it's probably the last big role I'll ever play. It's an eight-year commitment, so I just thought about mortality and how this is a really good role to bring the curtain down on," the actor admitted, adding that "a very good friend of mine who is the mother of a transgender child" had sent him an open letter titled "An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Step Away from Harry Potter."
“That was the rock that started the landslide,” he pointed out, then wondered why the writer's earlier comments would affect the project.
"I thought - Why is this even a factor? I wonder how she felt about it. I guess I'll meet her at some point and I can't wait to talk," the actor said.
When asked if the criticism has made him reconsider his role as headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lithgow replies:
"God, no."
The call to boycott Rowling, her books, and the films and now the TV series based on them began in 2020, when the author shared several posts on social media claiming that the existence of transgender people “erased the lived reality of women.” Shortly thereafter, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Green, who played the main characters in her books on the big screen, issued statements expressing opposing views.
Shortly after HBO announced that work on a "Harry Potter" series was underway, the company's CEO Casey Bloyds stated that Rowling was "very, very involved in the process of selecting the screenwriter and director," but that her previous statements "did not influence the casting and selection of the crew that will work on the series."
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