Emmy Award-winning actor John Lithgow has opened up about stepping into the world of Harry Potter as the franchise prepares for a TV reboot, taking on the role at age 80.
The casting was confirmed last year, with Lithgow set to play Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming small-screen adaptation—joining a lineage that includes Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, who portrayed the Hogwarts headmaster in the original film series.
Harris played Dumbledore in the first two movies before his death in October 2022. Gambon then took over from the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and remained in the role through to the final film in 2011.
Now, 15 years after the last movie, the wizarding saga is being reintroduced as a TV series, which is set to premier on HBO on Christmas Day, 2026.
With the release drawing closer, a behind-the-scenes documentary—Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic—has also launched, focusing on how the reboot is being put together.
Lithgow appears in the documentary and speaks candidly about the weight that comes with playing such an iconic character. While the opportunity is significant, he admits it’s also paired with a more reflective, bittersweet reality.
“I knew that while I did the first season of Harry Potter, I would be turning 80 years old,” he explains. “That meant that I would age to about 88 before it was all over.”
Lithgow goes on: “This is an extremely difficult thing to contemplate. They’re gonna grow up in this. And I’m gonna grow older with them.”
Those thoughts echo comments he’s made before, suggesting the project will shape how audiences remember him in the years to come. As a result, he’s acknowledged that agreeing to play Dumbledore wasn’t a straightforward choice.
“Well, it came as a total surprise to me,” he told ScreenRant last year. “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.”
The Dexter performer was the first cast member officially revealed for the reboot. Since then, the actors playing the trio at the heart of the story—Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger—have also been announced.
Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton has been cast as Hermione Granger. Additional names attached to the project include Nick Frost, Paapa Essiedu and Janet McTeer.
