John Lithgow Says He ‘Absolutely’ Didn’t Expect Any J.K. Rowling Backlash After Joining HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series: ‘Why Is This a Factor?’

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, Lithgow said he has received some backlash for joining HBO’s “Harry Potter” because of Rowling’s controversial comments about the transgender community. The “Conclave” star said it was something he “absolutely” did not expect, and was thinking more about his age when he accepted the role.

“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” Lithgow said. “It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”

Lithgow added that “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child” sent him an open letter entitled “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter” after he picked up the role.

“That was the canary in the coal mine,” he said. Lithgow went on to ponder why Rowling’s past comments should affect the project.

“I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,” Lithgow said. “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”

When asked if the backlash has made him reconsider the role, Lithgow said, “Oh, heavens no.”

Back in 2020, Rowling posted a series of social media posts claiming that the existence of transgender people “erased” the “lived reality of women.” Shortly after, film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint issued statements opposing her opinions.

Shortly after HBO’s “Harry Potter” was unveiled, HBO chief Casey Bloys told the media that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director,” and her anti-trans sentiments “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff” for the series.