John Lithgow has never lacked perspective, and that calm, thoughtful approach was on full display when he spoke at the Rotterdam Film Festival about stepping into the robes of Albus Dumbledore for the upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
The conversation quickly moved beyond casting news and into much heavier territory, touching on backlash, personal conviction, and why Lithgow ultimately chose to stay the course despite pressure to walk away.
Lithgow was in Rotterdam for the premiere of Jimpa, his latest film, and during a public discussion he was asked directly about J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender issues and how they intersect with his involvement in the new Harry Potter adaptation. Lithgow didn’t dodge the question or soften his response.
“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.”
He went further, acknowledging the discomfort that followed his casting announcement and the reaction from some fans and peers.
“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.
The pressure to step aside was real, and Lithgow admitted it weighed on him. “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.”
That choice also comes with a massive time commitment, something Lithgow addressed with his trademark dry humor.
“I’m the oldest person in this entire room, just turned 80. And yet I signed a contract – I will be playing Dumbledore for the next eight years! I absolutely have to keep at it. I felt: ‘Wow! That means I will live to be 88.’ I have that in writing.”
Not everyone in the room accepted his reasoning. One audience member openly voiced their disappointment and left in protest, sparking a tense exchange that derailed what was meant to be a discussion centered on Jimpa.
Lithgow took it in stride, saying: “I’m perfectly ready for collisions of opinion. I understand it,” he said.
Jimpa itself couldn’t be further from wizarding controversy. Directed by Sophie Hyde, the film stars Lithgow opposite Olivia Colman and tells a deeply personal story about family, identity, and reconciliation. Colman plays Hannah, who reconnects with her father, played by Lithgow, after he comes out later in life and relocates to Amsterdam.
Lithgow also reflected on what continues to drive him as an actor after decades on stage and screen. “Styles change, but the basics of storytelling are very much the same. Any actor’s Holy Grail is the suspension of disbelief, making the audience believe that it’s not fiction but it’s real.”
He even tied that philosophy back to his earlier work entertaining children, saying: “With them, they think they are seeing the real thing. That’s what you seek with audiences too, even for a fleeting moment. And that never changes.”
Looking back on his career, Jimpa stands out as one of the rare projects that fully delivered on its promise. “I’ve had a long career and there has only been five or six [films] that were everything I’d hoped for.
“In this hothouse moment, when there’s such cruelty and misuse of power over people, it’s wonderful to make a film about empathy and kindness. Jimpa [the character] can be unwillingly cruel, but he’s always trying.”
For Lithgow, whether he’s playing a wizard, a father, or a man lying silently in a hospital bed, the goal stays the same.
Source: Variety
