Dumbledore Actor John Lithgow Says ‘Much’ of J.K. Rowling’s Views Have Been ‘Twisted and Misrepresented,’ but She’s ‘Doubled Down at Her Own Cost’
John Lithgow recently appeared on “The New Yorker Radio Hour” and continued to discuss taking on the role of Dumbledore in HBO’s “Harry Potter” series reboot despite the ongoing controversy around author J.K. Rowling‘s anti-trans views. While the actor previously called Rowling’s beliefs “inexplicable,” he told The New Yorker that “much of it I think has been twisted and misrepresented.”
“[T]here was everything attractive about the job, and job security into my late years. You don’t ignore those issues,” Lithgow told the publication about signing on to play Dumbledore. “The whole subject of Rowling’s imputed prejudice, it came up after everything was already underway. I’d already said yes […] I was urged to walk away, and I was not about to do that.”
“The reasons to do it were much, much stronger than the reasons to protest against what Rowling has done and said,” he continued. “I do disagree with much of it, much of it I think has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has doubled down on it at her own cost.”
Lithgow noted that he’s “surprised and disappointed” by the continued tone of Rowling’s prejudiced social media posts, but he also stressed that it was not the “Harry Potter” author who sold him on playing Dumbledore in the first place.
“I have not met her,” Lithgow said of Rowling. “The other positive on the ‘Harry Potter’ project is the people who have taken it on themselves. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod have an extraordinary partnership. Francesca… she persuaded me, she’s the big reason I took it on.”
The first footage of Lithgow as Dumbledore debuted last month in HBO’s “Harry Potter” trailer, which prompted Rowling to post on X that the show “is going to be incredible. I’m so happy with it.” At the time of her post, Rowling had just celebrated the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympic games.
Speaking at Rotterdam Film Festival earlier this year, Lithgow was asked about Rowling’s anti-trans views and responded: “I take the subject extremely seriously. She has created this amazing canon for young people and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society. It’s about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty. I find her views ironic and inexplicable. I’ve never met her, she’s not really involved in this production at all. But the people who are, are remarkable.”
“It upsets me when people are opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in ‘Potter’ canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She’s written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role,” he concluded.
HBO’s “Harry Potter” is set to debut this Christmas.
“[T]here was everything attractive about the job, and job security into my late years. You don’t ignore those issues,” Lithgow told the publication about signing on to play Dumbledore. “The whole subject of Rowling’s imputed prejudice, it came up after everything was already underway. I’d already said yes […] I was urged to walk away, and I was not about to do that.”
“The reasons to do it were much, much stronger than the reasons to protest against what Rowling has done and said,” he continued. “I do disagree with much of it, much of it I think has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has doubled down on it at her own cost.”
Lithgow noted that he’s “surprised and disappointed” by the continued tone of Rowling’s prejudiced social media posts, but he also stressed that it was not the “Harry Potter” author who sold him on playing Dumbledore in the first place.
“I have not met her,” Lithgow said of Rowling. “The other positive on the ‘Harry Potter’ project is the people who have taken it on themselves. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod have an extraordinary partnership. Francesca… she persuaded me, she’s the big reason I took it on.”
The first footage of Lithgow as Dumbledore debuted last month in HBO’s “Harry Potter” trailer, which prompted Rowling to post on X that the show “is going to be incredible. I’m so happy with it.” At the time of her post, Rowling had just celebrated the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympic games.
Speaking at Rotterdam Film Festival earlier this year, Lithgow was asked about Rowling’s anti-trans views and responded: “I take the subject extremely seriously. She has created this amazing canon for young people and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society. It’s about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty. I find her views ironic and inexplicable. I’ve never met her, she’s not really involved in this production at all. But the people who are, are remarkable.”
“It upsets me when people are opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in ‘Potter’ canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She’s written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role,” he concluded.
HBO’s “Harry Potter” is set to debut this Christmas.