John Lithgow says a mother of a trans child sent him an open letter to walk away from HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series amid J.K. Rowling's stance

Actor and writer John Lithgow shared his experiences dealing with fan reactions after he joined HBO’s Harry Potter series. Speaking to The Times on April 27, 2025, he revealed that he faced criticism for joining the series, mostly because of the connection with author J.K. Rowling.

The publication mentions that even before the announcement of him playing Dumbledore in the series came out, he received a text from a friend who has a trans child. Reflecting on the comments and criticisms, he said,

“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.”

The criticism came as a shock to John Lithgow. He explained that taking the role had been a big decision, especially since it would likely be the last major role of his career.

With an eight-year commitment ahead, he had been more focused on thoughts about mortality and saw the role as a meaningful way to wind down his acting journey. When asked if the criticism made him demotivated to play the role, he said:

“Oh, heavens no.”

John Lithgow shared that he loved performing for children because they made for a wonderful yet challenging audience. He explained that actors always aim to capture an audience's imagination completely, and with kids, that was truly possible.

He also found it interesting that at this point in his life, he was now connected to writers like J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl, who were brilliant at captivating young audiences.

“I will be following the great Michael Gambon” – John Lithgow is thrilled to take on the role of Dumbledore

In February 2025, John Lithgow spoke to Screen Rant, confirming his role as Dumbledore on the HBO series. He mentioned that the offer came as a complete surprise while he was attending the Sundance Film Festival for another project.

Lithgow admitted it wasn’t an easy choice because taking on the role would likely define the final part of his career. However, he felt excited since talented people were getting involved with the new Harry Potter project.

He joked that he would probably be around 87 by the time filming ended. Speaking about his role on BBC’s The One Show, John Lithgow said:

“I will be following the great Michael Gambon. I’m not an Englishman, although I’ve played one on TV. I remind everyone that I did play Winston Churchill on The Crown and did just fine.”

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John Lithgow also shared that he felt thrilled to take on the role. However, he knew that some people were upset about an American being chosen to play such an iconic English wizard. Despite that, he said he would do his best.

Meanwhile, Lithgow thought about something that confused him. He pointed out to The Times that no one had criticized him when he took on the role related to Roald Dahl, but after agreeing to work on something connected to J.K. Rowling, he received a lot of messages. He found it strange.

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