Hollywood actor John Lithgow has said he is “very intimidated” to play Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series.
The upcoming series has creator JK Rowling as an executive producer and will aim to stay authentic to the original books, with a new cast.
Speaking about his upcoming role, John told BBC’s The One Show: “(I’m) very excited, very intimidated.”
He continued: “I will be following the great Michael Gambon, I’m not an Englishman, although I’ve played one on TV.”
“I have, I remind everyone that I did play Winston Churchill on The Crown and did just fine.”
“But yes, I mean it’s an enormous thrill, but I know there were plenty of people appalled that Americans should be hired to play the ultimate English wizard, but I will do my best,” he confessed.
Earlier this week, the series officially cast four season regulars and two recurring parts.
These actors include Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.
Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell are part of the recently revealed cast.
HBO has just confirmed the first 6 cast members for the ‘HARRY POTTER’ TV series:
• Nick Frost as Hagrid
• John Lithgow as Dumbledore
• Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
• Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
• Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
• Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall pic.twitter.com/RlsQ78N5bh— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 14, 2025
As of right now, Paul Whitehouse is the only cast member who has acted in any of the original films.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he portrayed Sir Cadogan.
In order to introduce the wizarding adventures to new viewers, the series will have a completely new cast while remaining faithful to the source novels.
The series will be filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where the blockbuster Barbie was largely filmed.
In 2023, Max declared that the new ten-year series would be “a faithful adaptation of the iconic books” and was based on J.K. Rowling’s works.
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years,” the streamer said at the time.
“Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
