"Why is this a factor at all?" the actor, who is slated to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming show, said amid Rowling's anti-trans controversies.

John Lithgow is opening up about how fans feel about him joining HBO's "Harry Potter" series, considering the involvement of the contentious franchise creator J.K. Rowling. In a sit-down with The Times of London,

In the film adaptions, Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two movies until his death in October 2002. Michael Gambon then took over the role until the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." Gambon died in September 2023 at age 82.