Ahead of the release of HBO’s hotly-anticipated Harry Potter reboot series, one of its principal stars has responded to backlash over his refusal to walk away from the project. Rising controversy around JK Rowling, who has earned a reputation as an outspoken commenter on trans rights, has threatened to overshadow the show – as it did the release of Hogwarts Legacy – with the Harry Potter cast repeatedly asked for their take on Rowling’s opinions. Now, John Lithgow has defended his position.
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While Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint were offered the chance either to defend or castigate the creator of the Harry Potter series, Lithgow has been presented with a different challenge: justifying signing on in full awareness of the controversy and the franchise’s inherent association with its creator. He has spoken at the premiere of his new movie Jimpa (as reported by Variety) to reveal that he clearly weighed up the prospect of walking away:
“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 mediation of kindess and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role. It was a hard decision. It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.”
John Lithgow Further Defends His Decision To Play Dumbledore
To his credit, Lithgow offered a nuanced take on playing Dumbledore, and hit upon many of the same points as readers and fans who choose to continue to engage with the franchise, but refuse to endorse Rowling’s position. It’s a difficult conversation, but it’s one Lithgow’s points genuinely add to, even if some of the responses inevitably won’t be quite as nuanced:
“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.”
As Variety reported, an audience member at the screening voiced their dissent and left the room, starting a heated discussion. That feels like a prophecy for how the marketing campaign is going to go as Harry Potter nears its release. And while it might make some people uncomfortable, these are important conversations, and it’s important to challenge what we see as injustices. The cast signed onto this project with their eyes open, and it’s likely this will not be the end of such challenges. It’s not even the beginning.
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