John Lithgow recently addressed whether the J.K. Rowling backlash affected his decision to join HBO's Harry Potter series as Dumbledore.
The Harry Potter author, who is notoriously an anti-trans advocate, is back in the headlines in the last few weeks as she celebrated the recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK regarding the definition of "women."
Harry Potter's John Lithgow Reacts to J.K. Rowling Backlash
In a recent interview, Lithgow opened up about the backlash that he has received regarding his decision to join the Harry Potter TV series in connection with Rowling's controversial views on the transgender community.
He said that he "absolutely" did not expect the response, and he was only considering his age when he was offered the role.
"Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play. It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role," the new Dumbledore actor said.
Lithgow also shared that "a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child" sent him a link to an open letter that asked him to back out of the project.
"That was the canary in the coal mine," he said.
Lithgow also pondered whether Rowling's controversial views should affect the project at all.
"I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her," he said.
When asked whether the backlash made him reconsider, Lithgow responded, "Oh, heavens no."
The Backlash Against J.K. Rowling
Rowling has been receiving a lot of backlash for the last few years over her anti-trans views.
As a result, the main trio stars of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) have expressed their support for the trans community and condemned Rowling's stance on the trans community.
"To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you," Radcliffe wrote in an essay for the Trevor Project.
Stars such as Nicola Coughlan and David Tennant have also criticized Rowling's views on transgender rights.
Despite her controversial views, Rowling remains active in the industry as she is currently involved in the development of HBO's Harry Potter series.
What do you think of Lithgow's remarks? Let us know in the comments!
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