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John Lithgow Confirms Casting As Dumbledore In HBO's Harry Potter: "This Is Going To Define The Last Chapter Of My Life" [Exclusive]

Lithgow marks the first official cast member.

screenrant.com

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.

 

[SJRB]

Sure, why not

 

[Trogdor1123]

He’s a pretty good actor so I’m ok with this.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

He’s a great actor, HBO rarely miss.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Great choice, that guy has a ton of range

 

[Artistic]

Good casting.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Americans stealing British roles.

We've been doing it too long. Now it's your turn.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

Hopefully he doesn’t die halfway through. He’s 79 and they haven’t even started filming.

Other than that he’s a good actor and I can see him as Dumbledore

 

[SidViscous]

No Buckeroo Banzai 2 then? shame

 

[jason10mm]

Hopefully he doesn’t die halfway through. He’s 79 and they haven’t even started filming.

Other than that he’s a good actor and I can see him as Dumbledore

No shit, Richard Harris died at 72!

Love to see the actuarial tables and family history they pulled to see if Lithgow had a solid chance of living to the end of the series. Not to be morbid but it's like to be a 10-12 year commitment.

 

[Saber]

Not a problem at all.
I though they would pick the clowns from Rings of Power(I guess they will pick them on the LoR movies though).

 

[AJUMP23]

I guess they just want to replace dumbledore halfway through again.


Richard Harris was the best one.

 

[Complistic]

He's gonna crush it. Great actor.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Ugh.. he is such a good actor... I'd rather see him playing in something else.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Hey only needs to make it through the THBP arc. 7-8.5 years of filming with some pre-recorded interactions towards the end of book 8 (year 10/11). He will be fine...and a great choice for this role imo.

 

[Fake]

Looks fine to me.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

No Buckeroo Banzai 2 then? shame

LAUGH WHILE YOU CAN, MONKEY BOY!

 

[willothedog]

Cynthia Erivo would have been perfect for this role

 

[GymWolf]

Great actor, great choice.

 

[GymWolf]

Cynthia Erivo would have been perfect for this role

I think they already gave her the role of dobby.

 

[RJMacready73]

Wonderful the americanisation of the very British Harry Potter franchise has begun can't wait to see Dumbledore packing a 9mm busting out rap tunes drinking XXL large cokes

 

[ButtSax]

He was great as Churchill in 'The Crown' I thought. Looking forward to this series.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

He was great as Churchill in 'The Crown' I thought. Looking forward to this series.

I didn't even know he was american and I'm british . I'm shit with accents though.

An all british cast would be nice but doesn't really matter. As long as they can do a proper british accent. Don't want Dumbledore sounding american lmao.

 

[RJMacready73]

I didn't even know he was american and I'm british . I'm shit with accents though.

An all british cast would be nice but doesn't really matter. As long as they can do a proper british accent. Don't want Dumbledore sounding american lmao.

he's a fantastic actor tbf, i loved him in Cliffhanger

 

[Putonahappyface]

Ok I have hope again for this series. I'm a huge John Lithgow fan and he would be great as Dumbledore.

 

[j0hnnix]

 

[Chuck Berry]

No Buckeroo Banzai 2 then? shame

F that give me the sequel to Harry & The Hendersons

 

[Dr_Ifto]

Meh, its a decent casting.

 

[Hookshot]

The guy from Cliffhanger? Who else is in it?

 

[Roufianos]

That's absolutely ridiculous. The guy is 79, there's no way the series concludes in the next 10 years, let alone 5.

 

[DeafTourette]

I think they already gave her the role of dobby.

This is what she normally looks like. I'm kinda tired of the posts making fun of her looks (to be fair, the shaved head and eyebrows and weight loss is kinda weird... Hopefully it's for a movie role)

 

[DeafTourette]

As for John Lithgow... He was EXCELLENT as Churchill in The Crown.

 

[drganon]

No problem with that. He's a great actor.

 

[jason10mm]

This is what she normally looks like. I'm kinda tired of the posts making fun of her looks (to be fair, the shaved head and eyebrows and weight loss is kinda weird... Hopefully it's for a movie role)

That's her glammed up in a more conventional way. But she's done enough interviews lately to show that's NOT how she normally.looks, same with Ariana Grande. They both look like they just got back from filming The Searchers out in a desert radioactive test site.

 

[GymWolf]

This is what she normally looks like. I'm kinda tired of the posts making fun of her looks (to be fair, the shaved head and eyebrows and weight loss is kinda weird... Hopefully it's for a movie role)

Nobody forced her to change look.

When i was young i tried ugly ass haircuts and my friends trolled me accordingly.

She is a public character, she is gonna receive some trolling, it's how things work.

Her acting like a retard in interviews also doesn't inspire empathy, sorry.

 

[cormack12]

AI will have made advances in 5 years and I'm betting his contract will provision AI/CG fill ins. Otherwise Jeremy Corbyn is free.

The real question is when will Warwick Davis get cast?

I hope they keep consistency in the school. The films went weird continuity wise when they just started wandering round in Primark gear.

PS: they will never cast better than Umbridge, Dumbledore (Harris) or Snape

 

[Unknown Soldier]

LOL so they aren't even going to cast British actors for this show huh

Can't wait to see if Lithgow actually plans to do a posh London accent for 10 years or if he'll be like fuck it and speak with his native American accent and pretend no one notices

 

[analog_future]

Great casting. I think he could portray both the whimsy/silliness of Dumbledore as well as the badassery of Dumbledore very well.

 

[analog_future]

AI will have made advances in 5 years and I'm betting his contract will provision AI/CG fill ins. Otherwise Jeremy Corbyn is free.

The real question is when will Warwick Davis get cast?

I hope they keep consistency in the school. The films went weird continuity wise when they just started wandering round in Primark gear.

PS: they will never cast better than Umbridge, Dumbledore (Harris) or Snape

Harris was good but far too frail to pull off the Dumbledore described in the later books.

Umbridge and Snape will be near impossible to top though, yes. And Hagrid.

 

[DeafTourette]

That's her glammed up in a more conventional way. But she's done enough interviews lately to show that's NOT how she normally.looks, same with Ariana Grande. They both look like they just got back from filming The Searchers out in a desert radioactive test site.

From A few years ago. Her current look is not what she normally looks like. It's what she's looked like while filming for Wicked 1 and 2.

 

[analog_future]

While I'm here, anyone have any other thoughts on potential casting?

I think Adam Driver would make a great Snape:

 

[Tams]

While I'm here, anyone have any other thoughts on potential casting?

I think Adam Driver would make a great Snape:

He'd be alright, but he's no Alan Rickman.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

While I'm here, anyone have any other thoughts on potential casting?

I think Adam Driver would make a great Snape:

If they are going to cast all Americans for the show, the sky is the limit on who they can choose

I'm expecting Zendaya as Hermione please be excited

 

[daffyduck]

If they are going to cast all Americans for the show, the sky is the limit on who they can choose

I'm expecting Zendaya as Hermione please be excited

She’s too old. But she would still be a better choice than Rachel Whozits.

And if we’re doing stunt casting, Awkwafina could be Prof Mcgonagall.

 

[jason10mm]

She’s too old. But she would still be a better choice than Rachel Whozits.

And if we’re doing stunt casting, Awkwafina could be Prof Mcgonagall.

Naw, get someone with a legit brit accent...

Dame Gillian Anderson!

I think the entire cast should be younger than their film counterparts, the kids excepted obviously. Makes no sense that Snape, a peer of Harry's parents, is like 55 years old. Give me the tensions amongst the teachers dealing with these snot nosed bratty kids rather than another tale from the kids POV.

 

[kevboard]

 

[Soodanim]

And if we’re doing stunt casting, Awkwafina could be Prof Mcgonagall.

Fucking hell. There's got to be a line to these jokes, you're going to give me nightmares

 

[IntentionalPun]

Hopefully there is at least 1 full frontal scene.

 

[Shaki12345]

This dude can play anything.

But obviously woke people are now hating on him for working "with" J.K. Rowling. Now he's not a good actor anymore and should be cancelled immediately.

 

[Complistic]

But obviously woke people are now hating on him for working "with" J.K. Rowling. Now he's not a good actor anymore and should be cancelled immediately.

That's a healthy take.