Actor John Lithgow said he would not consider backing out of his new “Harry Potter” television show because of author J.K. Rowling’s controversies.
Lithgow declined an opportunity to speak against celebrated author Rowling during an interview about HBO’s new “Harry Potter” series, as Rowling is said to be heavily involved.
Rowling has faced significant backlash for her views on transgender issues, particularly regarding men who believe they are women. Since about 2018, she has expressed concerns about men entering women’s spaces, especially in sports, and has been the target of accusations from activists.
Rowling was even accused of hate speech by an Olympic boxer who fought in the women’s division despite strong evidence that he is a man. Rowling also dared authorities to arrest her for her remarks and won the standoff.
‘Why is this a factor at all?’
In an interview with the Times of London, Lithgow said he has received some backlash of his own since agreeing to join the new series. The 79-year-old said he “absolutely” did not expect people to have such strong reactions and was simply thinking about how big the role will be, given that it is an eight-year commitment.
The Times revealed that some of the comments Lithgow received accused him of figuratively donning a Ku Klux Klan hood by agreeing to a role in a Rowling-backed program.
Before it was even announced that he had the role, Lithgow said he received a message from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child,” which, to him, seemed to be the “canary in the coal mine.”
“I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,” Lithgow continued. “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”
When asked if the criticism put him off the idea of starring in the show, Lithgow replied, “Oh, heavens no.”
Rowling has unfortunately had to get used to backlash from other famous “Harry Potter” faces for her simple beliefs. The stars of the original “Harry Potter” films — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint — have all spoken out in opposition to her views.
“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in 2020. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter.”
Similarly, actress Watson said in 2020 that “trans people are who they say they are” and noted that she had donated to a pro-transgender organization.
It was seemingly the hope of Rowling’s detractors that she would somehow not be involved in future iterations of “Harry Potter.” However according to Variety, HBO executive Casey Bloys has told media members that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director” and that her beliefs have not affected the casting or hiring of staff.
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