John Lithgow Says Playing Dumbledore in Harry Potter Series 'Won’t Be That Hard'; Here's Why

John Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot and believes that playing the role won’t be too difficult. Here's why.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 25, 2025 | 07:29 AM GMT | 4.1K

John Lithgow (via Getty Images)

John Lithgow has been cast as Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series. The veteran actor confirmed his role while speaking on the SmartLess podcast, admitting that he’s still catching up on the books. “I’m halfway through the second,” he said.

The new adaptation, announced in April 2023, will dedicate each season to one book, providing a more detailed retelling of J.K. Rowling’s series.

Lithgow acknowledged that stepping into the role previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon will be significant, but he doesn’t see it as too difficult. “Dumbledore is—he’s kind of the nuclear weapon. He only goes on very, very occasionally. I don’t think it’s gonna be that hard a job,” he said.

The Harry Potter reboot is set to begin filming this summer in London, as per the Hollywood Reporter. While discussing the project with SmartLess hosts, Lithgow admitted that he doesn’t know much about the production schedule yet.

However, he recalled spending eight months in the U.K. while filming The Crown and expects a similar experience. “I was over in England for eight months for The Crown and barely came back. I imagine that I can come back much more,” he said.

With the series expected to run for several years, Lithgow noted that his involvement as Dumbledore might not be as demanding as some expect.

Although John Lithgow’s casting was only finalized recently, he mentioned that fans had already started recognizing him as Dumbledore. He said the deal was confirmed just 48 hours ago, yet people had somehow heard about it weeks earlier and were stopping him in airports.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Lithgow shared that deciding to join the series was not easy. He stated that the offer came as a total surprise while he was attending the Sundance Film Festival, and he took time to consider it.

He acknowledged that the role would likely define the final chapter of his career but is excited about the opportunity. Lithgow jokingly remarked that by the time the series wraps, he would be around 87 years old, but he had ultimately decided to accept the role.