John Lithgow Says Dumbledore Casting Will Define the ‘Last Chapter’ of His Life

Towards the latter end of an actor’s career, they must make an important decision: whether or not to put on a long, white beard for a gig. No, it’s not to play Santa— it’s to become the headmaster of Hogwarts. John Lithgow confirmed to Screen Rant that he will be playing Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series for Max. Taking on a beloved character shouldn’t be a challenge for Lithgow; after all, the accomplished actor has transformed himself into Lord Farquaad, Dick Solomon, Winston Churchill, J.J. Hunsecker, and many more roles through his time on screen and stage. However, he does understand that playing Dumbledore will be the bookend of his career. “Well, it came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited,” Lithgow explained. “Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes.” Contemplating mortality when making an important decision? Very Dumbledore.

Lithgow will join showrunner Francesca Gardiner and series director Mark Mylod for the upcoming series. No other cast members have been announced so far, but in September 2024, Warner Bros. announced an open casting call for Harry, Ron, and Hermione— aka future wizards who will be lucky to learn from Lithgow.