Harry Potter: John Lithgow Reveals He's 'Said Yes' To Playing Albus Dumbledore In HBO Series
That's Headmaster Lithgow to the rest of us.
Two weeks after it was reported that John Lithgow (3rd Rock From the Sun) was nearing a deal to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter series, the Emmy winner now appears to have confirmed he'll portray the beloved Hogwarts headmaster.
"Well, it came as a total surprise to me," Lithgow told Screen Rant Tuesday of his casting. "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. 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."
"We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals," HBO said in a statement following Lithgow's remarks. TVLine has reached out to the actor's team for comment.
In addition to overseeing the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore is also a powerful sorcerer, widely considered to be the greatest wizard ever. Lithgow — who's best known to TV fans for starring in NBC's 3rd Rock From the Sun — will inherit the role from Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films. Richard Harris originally played the character in the Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets movies, but passed away in 2002, leading Gambon to take over.
Though it's not yet clear how many seasons HBO's Harry Potter series will span, the project is described as a "faithful adaptation" of J.K. Rowling's popular novels that will "dive deep into each of the iconic books." Francesca Gardiner (His Dark Materials) serves as writer, executive producer and showrunner, while Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones) will direct multiple episodes and exec-produce. Rowling is also on board as an EP.
HBO has yet to announce who will play the central trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, but a casting call was opened in September that sought U.K.- or Ireland-based children who would be 9 to 11 years old in April 2025. The casting call also stated that HBO was "committed to inclusive, diverse casting."
In addition to 3rd Rock, Lithgow's extensive TV resumé includes work on The Old Man, Perry Mason, The Crown, Trial & Error, Dexter and How I Met Your Mother.
Production on the Harry Potter series will begin in Summer 2025, though a premiere timetable is still to be determined. Deadline was first to report Lithgow's potential casting as Dumbledore. Is he the headmaster you envisioned? Tell us below.