John Lithgow opens up about portraying Dumbledore on HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, explaining why he feels it won’t be a hard role to tackle. While appearing on the podcast Smartless, the actor was asked about his future in the Wizarding World, which will be a significant time commitment for Lithgow. He admitted that the “logistics are a little bit scary” regarding the travel schedule and the fact the series aims to be a comprehensive adaptation of all seven Harry Potter novels. But when it comes to actually acting as Dumbledore in the scenes, Lithgow thinks it’ll be an easy proposition, citing the character’s supporting nature.
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“Dumbledore is kind of the nuclear weapon,” Lithgow said. “He only goes on very, very occasionally. I don’t think it’s gonna be that hard a job, and, we’ll just go back and forth … The logistics are a little bit scary. I really did have to think hard about whether to take it on but I also thought, well, I’m about to turn 80 next year. If this is indeed a seven- or eight-year-long job, it’s a wonderful way to grow old as an actor. I mean, the alternative is to just be hauled out once a year to play an Alzheimer’s patient … and an awful lot of death scenes with weeping middle-aged children, you know.”
Word of Lithgow’s casting in the Harry Potter show broke in February; he was the first actor officially confirmed for the project. Since Lithgow came onboard, HBO has reportedly cast Paapa Esideu and Janet McTeer as Hogwarts professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, respectively. Lithgow’s involvement was noteworthy since he is American, marking a departure from the casting practices for the Harry Potter movies.
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The Harry Potter TV show is slated to begin production at some point this summer ahead of its planned release in either 2026 or 2027. Billed as a “10-year journey” for HBO, the plan is for each season to cover one of the books, allowing the creative team to go more in-depth than the films were able to. HBO put out a casting call for the roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but nothing’s been announced on that front yet.
Lithgow obviously is going to take portraying Dumbledore very seriously; he understands the magnitude of this project, which is why he took his time mulling it over before signing on. What he means by saying it won’t be “that hard a job” is that the role shouldn’t be too physically taxing for him. Dumbledore is a supporting character (albeit one of the most important) throughout the Harry Potter saga, so, for the most part, he’ll be able to knock out his scenes where he shares wisdom with Harry and his friends. However, Lithgow shared during the interview that he’s only “halfway through the second [book]” as he reads the Harry Potter series in preparation. Dumbledore gets more involved in the action in later installments, famously dueling Voldemort in The Order of the Phoenix. Lithgow’s opinion on how easy Dumbledore is might change as he gets further along.
It should be interesting to see how Lithgow approaches Dumbledore. He possesses a lot of qualities that make him a strong fit for the role. He should have no problems playing a kind-hearted mentor figure who endears himself to his students, and he can also be a stern presence when that’s necessary. Hopefully, the TV show is a fresh enough adaptation that he’s able to put his own stamp on the part and isn’t trapped in the shadows of Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. There’s a lot of potential for this to be an excellent capper for what’s been a tremendous career.
