John Lithgow Calls JK Rowling’s Trans Views ‘Ironic and Inexplicable,’ Still Upset That People ‘Insisted I Walk Away’

John Lithgow, faced with questions about his decision to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s “Harry Potter” reboot, said he takes author JK Rowling’s views on trans people are “ironic and inexplicable.”

“I take the subject extremely seriously,” he said while promoting his film “Jimpa” at the Rotterdam Film Festival, according to multiple outlets including THR and Variety. “She has created this amazing canon for young people and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society. It’s about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty. I find her views ironic and inexplicable. I’ve never met her, she’s not really involved in this production at all. But the people who are, are remarkable.”

He continued: “It upsets me when people are opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in ‘Potter’ canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She’s written this mediation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.”

The actor admitted deciding whether to pursue it was a hard decision and added, “It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.”

His comments prompted one audience member to leave in anger, which stirred up a larger conversation about the author and TV series. “I’m perfectly ready for collisions of opinion. I understand it,” Lithgow also said.

In November, HBO released a statement defending Rowling’s right to express her personal views.

“We have been working with J. K. Rowling and in the Harry Potter business for over 20 years,” a spokesperson for HBO said in a statement obtained by TheWrap. “With millions of fans continuing to enjoy movies, games and experiences, we’ve had great success and her contribution has been invaluable. We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter – the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance.”

“We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement,” the statement concluded.

News of HBO’s reboot was nearly immediately followed by backlash from Harry Potter fans and online communities.

“This is a f–king insult to the original harry potter franchise,” one person tweeted. “To me feels like a rebound from jk rowling because the cast didn’t get along with her being transphobic idk.”

The post John Lithgow Calls JK Rowling’s Trans Views ‘Ironic and Inexplicable,’ Still Upset That People ‘Insisted I Walk Away’ appeared first on TheWrap.