John Lithgow Finds J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Stance “Ironic and Inexplicable,” Speaks Out on Current “War on Empathy”

John Lithgow spoke out against what he called the current “war on empathy” and addressed the controversy around his casting as Albus Dumbledore in the new HBO Max Harry Potter series amid J.K. Rowling‘s anti-trans stance.

During an on-stage discussion about Sophie Hyde’s queer family drama Jimpa at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Sunday, he described the fact that he signed an eight-year contract for the show as “insane,” given that he is 80 years old.

Asked how he navigated taking on the role given Rowling’s views on trans people, Lithgow said: “I take the subject and the issue extremely seriously. J.K. Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids’ literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories. It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil. It’s about kindness versus cruelty. It’s deeply felt.”

Given all that, “I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views,” the star shared. “I’ve read about them, and I’ve never met her. She’s not really involved in this production at all. The people who are re-adapting Harry Potter and turning it into an eight-year-long TV series are remarkable. … These are people I really want to work with.”

Lithgow also offered: “Of course, it upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to my having anything to do with this. But if you read through the Harry Potter canon, you see absolutely no trace of transphobic sensibility. She has written this great meditation on kindness and empathy and acceptance, which is why it’s so strange to me.”

Concluded the actor: “Dumbledore is a beautiful role. There’s so much more to it than I even realized, mainly because of these people who are creating the series. So it was a hard decision on the basis of that [controversy], and it made me very uncomfortable and unhappy that people were actively insisting that I walk away from this job. But I chose not to do that.”

Lithgow on Sunday also addressed the state of U.S. and global politics, sharing: “Now, we’re in the midst of a war on empathy, and I’m on the side of empathy.”