John Lithgow Considered Quitting HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series Over J.K. Rowling Backlash: It Will Come Up in ‘Every Interview’ for the ‘Rest of My Life’

By Alex Ritman

Alex Ritman

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HBO Max’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV reboot could have lost its Albus Dumbledore.

John Lithgow, who plays the famed Hogwarts headmaster in the new series, reportedly thought about quitting the show due to the backlash he received after his casting was announced over J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans comments.

In a new interview with The New York Times, Lithgow said that while he didn’t agree with Rowling’s views on transgender issues, he thought the “Harry Potter” books themselves were “clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry.”

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