Lithgow Defends Potter Role Despite Rowling Disagreement

John Lithgow, the veteran actor set to portray Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter television series, has expressed disagreement with J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues while defending his decision to join the project. In a recent interview on The New Yorker Radio Hour, the 80-year-old Lithgow acknowledged the controversy surrounding the author, stating that he was initially unaware of its full scope when he signed on but chose to proceed despite pressure to withdraw.

Lithgow explained that he committed to the role before learning more about Rowling's public statements, which began gaining widespread attention in the late 2010s. "The whole subject of Rowling's imputed prejudice, it came up sort of after everything was already underway. I'd already said yes," he said. He noted that he was urged to step away but felt the professional opportunities outweighed any objections. "There was everything attractive about the job, and job security into my late years. You don't ignore those issues," Lithgow added. "The reasons to do it were much, much stronger than the reasons to protest against what Rowling has done and said."

While admitting he has not met Rowling and...