John Lithgow used a packed Q&A at International Film Festival Rotterdam to address the debate that has followed his casting as Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter, calling J.K. Rowling’s views on trans people “ironic and inexplicable.” Speaking while promoting his new film Jimpa, Lithgow said he takes the subject “extremely seriously,” praised the books’ themes of kindness and acceptance, and argued that “in ‘Potter’ canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity.”
Lithgow said he has never met Rowling and that she is “not really involved in this production at all,” crediting the creative team he is working with as “remarkable.” He added that calls for him to step away from the role left him “uncomfortable and unhappy,” and said he chose to stay. He told the festival crowd he is “perfectly ready for collisions of opinion,” after one audience member walked out mid-discussion.
The remarks land inside a long-running argument around Rowling’s public statements on sex and gender, and what her status as a franchise creator means for new screen adaptations. In a 2024 statement to Variety, HBO said Rowling “has a right to express her personal views,” and said the new series will “benefit from her involvement.”
Rowling has rejected the label of transphobia and has said she would “march with” trans people against discrimination, while arguing that sex-based protections matter in law and daily life. LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD has countered that her messaging fuels stigma and harm toward trans people.
Lithgow tried to separate the text from the author’s politics, saying the story’s moral frame—good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty—helped guide his decision to join the series even as criticism continues online.
