“I Chose Not to”: John Lithgow Breaks Silence on Staying With Harry Potter Despite Rowling Backlash

John Lithgow did not expect to talk about Harry Potter when he appeared at the Rotterdam Film Festival, but that is exactly where the conversation went.

The 80-year-old actor was on stage to promote his new film Jimpa when he was asked about his casting as Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television series. The discussion focused on the backlash tied to J.K. Rowling’s public comments about the trans community. The information comes directly from Lithgow’s comments during the festival panel in Rotterdam.

Lithgow told the audience that he takes the topic seriously. I take the subject extremely seriously, he said. He explained that while Rowling created a world that deeply shaped popular culture, he finds her personal views ironic and inexplicable. Lithgow also made it clear that he has never met Rowling and stressed that she is not involved in the new HBO series. He spoke highly of the people making the show and described the creative team as remarkable and deserving of his trust.

The actor said accepting the role was not an easy choice. He admitted that he felt uncomfortable and unhappy when people urged him to walk away from the project. Still, he defended the Harry Potter books themselves. According to Lithgow, the stories show no trace of transphobic sensitivity. He described the series as a meditation of kindness and acceptance and said that belief is why he chose to stay involved.

Lithgow also addressed the long commitment that comes with the role. He has signed on for eight years and joked about what that means at his age. I will be playing Dumbledore for the next eight years, he said, adding, I felt: ‘Wow! That means I will live to be 88.’ I have that in writing. During the panel, one audience member stood up and left in protest, creating a tense moment in the room. Lithgow stayed calm and said he is perfectly ready for collisions of opinion.

Outside of the Wizarding World, Lithgow is currently celebrating the release of Jimpa, directed by Sophie Hyde. The film stars Olivia Colman as Hannah, who travels to Amsterdam to visit her father Jimpa, played by Lithgow. Jimpa is a gay man who came out later in life. The story becomes more complex when Hannah’s non-binary teenager, Frances, played by Aud Mason-Hyde, decides to stay behind with their grandfather.

Lithgow spoke with affection about working with Colman. Olivia has such access to her own emotional life, it’s so genuine, he said. He also connected deeply with the film’s themes. Hyde based the story on her own father, and Lithgow said it reminded him of growing up in Ohio around gay men who worked in his father’s theater. He described Jimpa as the kind of story people need right now, especially in difficult times when audiences want heart, laugh, love, and togetherness.

Lithgow has shown no signs of slowing down. He recently won a 2025 Olivier Award for playing Roald Dahl in the play Giant, a role he is expected to take to Broadway in 2026. He also stars with Geoffrey Rush in the 2025 thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen.

With six Emmys and two Tonys already to his name, Lithgow says he is still chasing what he calls the Holy Grail of acting, creating moments where the audience forgets they are watching a performance.

Now stepping into one of the most famous roles in modern fiction, Lithgow seems prepared for both praise and criticism as he moves into this next phase of his career.