John Lithgow Reveals He'll Play Dumbledore in HBO's Harry Potter TV Series

HBO's highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series is making significant strides, with the first major casting announcement: the legendary John Lithgow will portray the iconic Professor Dumbledore. This news comes after an extensive search by HBO for the perfect actor to fill the role.

In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Lithgow confirmed his acceptance of the part, describing it as a pivotal moment in his career. He stated, “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. 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.”

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While this is the first official casting announcement for the series, it's important to note that HBO and Warner Bros. have yet to formally confirm Lithgow's involvement. The series will be a complete re-adaptation of J.K. Rowling's books, featuring an entirely new cast portraying beloved characters such as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the rest of the Hogwarts community. Rowling will serve as an executive producer alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

Although Lithgow has publicly confirmed his participation, the lack of a complete cast suggests the series is still in the early stages of pre-production. Lithgow, a highly acclaimed actor with a long and distinguished career in film and television, is perhaps best known for his role as Dick Solomon in *3rd Rock from the Sun*. He also garnered critical acclaim and an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the first season of Netflix's *The Crown*.