American actor John Lithgow expressed his mixed feelings about portraying Albus Dumbledore, the principal of Hogwarts and the Wizard, in the upcoming Harry Potter television series. He stated that he is “very excited” but also “very threatened” by the role. This new HBO series, produced by JK Rowling, aims to remain faithful to the original books and will feature a fresh cast.
In an interview with the BBC’s The One Show, Lithgow mentioned, “I’ll be succeeding the great Michael Gambon. Although I’m not British, I did portray the character on television.” He reminded everyone that he successfully played Winston Churchill in “The Crown.” Lithgow acknowledged that some might be upset about an American taking on the iconic English wizard role, but he promised to give it his best effort.
Lithgow, 79, has recently joined the cast, which includes Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Previously, Dumbledore was depicted by Irish actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in eight Harry Potter films, while Snape was played by Alan Rickman and Hagrid by Robbie Coltrane. Harris passed away in 2002, Rickman in 2016, Coltrane in 2022, and Gambon in 2023.
The new series will also include Ozark’s Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall and British stage actor Luke Treadaway as the main antagonist, Cylinus Kyrell. Welsh comedian Paul Whitehouse will portray Argus Filch. In the original films, McGonagall was played by Maggie Smith, Fiona Glascott portrayed a younger version of the character in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, David Bradley played Filch, and Ian Hart portrayed Quirrell.
Notably, Maggie Smith passed away last year at 89. The roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, originally played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, will not be recast, as 32,000 children are currently auditioning for the series. Production is set to start in the summer of 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden.
