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Actor John Lithgow defended his role in the upcoming HBO series based on J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books despite backlash over the author’s views on transgender issues.
The 80-year-old actor was asked about the controversy surrounding his decision to play the character Albus Dumbledore amid criticism of Rowling’s outspoken opposition to transgender ideology and her defense of women-only spaces.
Lithgow insisted that he took the criticism “extremely seriously” and described Rowling’s views as “ironic” given the themes of her fantasy series.
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“Young and old people love ‘Harry Potter’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ stories,” Lithgow said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil. It’s about kindness versus cruelty. It’s deeply felt.”
He continued, “I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views. I’ve read about them, and I’ve never met her. She’s not really involved in this production at all. The people who are re-adapting ‘Harry Potter’ and turning it into an eight-year-long TV series are remarkable…These are people I really want to work with.”
Lithgow added that there was “no trace of transphobic sensitivity” in the story and said that he was upset to learn that some critics opposed his involvement in the project.
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“So it was a hard decision on the basis of that [controversy], and it made me very uncomfortable and unhappy that people were actively insisting that I walk away from this job. But I chose not to do that,” Lithgow said.
Lithgow previously said in an interview in April that he was shocked about the backlash he received for joining the series, saying he did not consider Rowling’s political views before accepting the role.
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He also said that before taking the role, he received a text from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child” and called the moment “the canary in the coal mine.”
However, Lithgow said that the controversy did not make him reconsider the role.
“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play. It’s an 8-year commitment, so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role,” Lithgow said.
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